


Awakening

by jadesolo



Series: The Adventures of Rey Solo [3]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Angst, Gen, Kylo Ren and Rey Are Related, Rey Solo, Rey-Centric, also, at some point probably
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-25
Updated: 2016-04-12
Packaged: 2018-05-23 03:51:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 23,462
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6103903
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jadesolo/pseuds/jadesolo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rey Solo has grown up in the shadow of her parents' adventures. She longs for adventures of her own, but is constantly refused the opportunity. But when her best friend, Poe Dameron, goes missing after a mission to Jakku to find a star-chart that could lead to her uncle, Rey takes matters into her own hands and embarks on a journey to save her friend....only to discover secrets that might be best kept hidden.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Dreams of Fire and Blood

**Author's Note:**

> So basically I hopped aboard the Rey Solo train and I've been in denial over that one scene that didn't happen in that newest Star Wars movie, so this kind of happened. Also, I'm trying to make it different from TFA, but it's definitely inspired by it.  
> Also kudos to everyone in theprincessandscoundrelnet (on Tumblr) for encouraging me to write this fic. And major thanks to Nikki (leiastars on Tumblr) for beta-ing this for me.

Rey Solo grew up on the stories of her parents and her uncle's escapades, the tales of heroism shown from her family, their friends and allies. How the Empire had taken the galaxy by storm, using fear as a weapon. It's toll had been larger than even the dreaded Death Star's.

But it had been stories; legends from another generation. Occasionally, it had been a burden. The shadow of her parents had been so large that she sometimes found herself drowning in it, but she kept her head held high, a stubborn glint constant in her eyes. Sometimes, very rarely, she found herself looking in the mirror and being surprised at how much she looked like her mother.

Now the darkness was back in the galaxy; the First Order had slithered into the universe, coiled like a serpent and it began to wrap itself around planets and galaxies until it had gathered enough resources and power to become an immediate threat. Only, the Senate didn't see it as that.

Rey wasn't entirely why that was the case, but it had been. Eventually, her mother and a few others-mainly those from the original rebellion-had banded together to create the Resistance, a small group (even smaller than the rebellion had been) determined to stop the First Order.

And of all the things that Rey could be doing to help, she was made a bleeding mechanic.

Originally, she hadn't complained much about it. They needed things to be fixed, and she was good at fixing things. But she longed to be part of the action, to wield a blaster in battle or to be inside a cockpit, taking out those bucket-heads from space.

Her best friend, Poe Dameron, was the only person who did not chide her for her longing to be able to do something. It was the entire reason he was in the Resistance. He had watched as a friend die before his eyes, the Senate refusing to do anything to stop the First Order. He'd broken protocol to find out what the First Order had done with a stolen frieghter and had ended up with the Resistance, flying proudly in his X-Wing with his droid, Beebee-Ate.

Currently, the small trio were on the landing bay, a long strip of tarmac lined with X-Wings and some Y-Wings as well. At the very end of the the strip was _the Millennium Falcon_ , worn and torn and quite frankly a huge bucket of bolts, but it stood proud among the rest of the ships.

“Lor San Tekka,” Rey repeated, trying to recall the name. It sounded familiar, but after so many years of hearing her parents say so many names, she couldn't place it. “Who's he?”

“According to the General, the key to finding Luke Skywalker.” Poe replied, shrugging on his favorite jacket. He'd had it as long as Rey knew him. “The General thinks he'll have part of the star-chart.”

“So where's Tekka located?”

“Jakku,” Poe answered, placing a satchel into the cockpit of an X-Wing he'd been assigned. He didn't seem particularly thrilled to be leaving without his own X-Wing, but everyone had decided that the orange and black paint job probably would've been to obvious. “Desert planet in the Western Reaches.”

“I recognize the name. There was a battle between the Rebellion and the Empire there. If I recall correctly, a year before the Battle of Endor.”

“Well now it's currently home to scavengers and Sacred Villages, which is where I'm going to find Tekka.” Poe responded, heading back inside the base. Rey trailed after him.

“Do you really think that's a good idea? Going on your own can be dangerous.”

“So is sending an entire fleet,” Poe said as they entered the war room. “Much easier this way.”

“More subtle,” General Organa stated, stepping up towards them. “Are you ready for the mission, Poe?”

Poe gave a nod. “Yes, I am.”

“Good, can't waste a moment. We have to get to that star-chart before the First Order does.”

“I'll be on my way then,” Poe said with a small smile before turning on his heel, heading back to the landing bay. Rey watched after her best friend for a moment before turning around to face her mother.

“Is this really a good idea? Sending him on his own.”

“I trust Poe impeccably,” Leia answered, turning around. “He can do this.”

“I know Poe can do this, mother. I just...I have a bad feeling about this.”

Leia scoffed. “You've been spending too much time with your father. You better hit the 'fresher. It'll be dinner soon.”

Rey bit back a remark and did as she was told, a good little soldier.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Dinner was served on _the Falcon_ Their quarters were too small on the base to have room for a private meal, which meant that eating inside _the Falcon_ was the only alternative for a private family meal. Rey never tired of being on the ship; it's walls felt more like home than her bare quarters on the base. She hadn't gotten the chance of piloting it on her own yet. Her father use to joke that maybe she would be a better pilot than he had and manage to do the Kessel Run in ten parsecs, not twelve.

Han in question was already seated at one of the tables, which was already set. Despite years of hearing of her parents' dangerous adventures, this was the family Rey knew the best. The domestic family dinners, the bickering. The war and the constant arguments, that was new.

Or had it been?

She could remember clearly when she was ten overhearing her parents arguing. It wasn't usual for them to argue, it was a second language to them, but what had been particularly odd was that they had been arguing over _her_. Talking about some lost boy, about Luke's disappearance, about what if something happened to her as well. She couldn't make sense of it then and it didn't now.

“Sweetheart,” Han said, taking notice of his daughter. A smile appeared briefly on his face before it faded. “What's wrong?”

“Nothing,” Rey lied, taking a seat next to him.

He stared at his daughter for a long moment and she could practically feel the skepticism radiating off him. Finally he spoke again, “Poe's on his way to Jakku, isn't he?”

“Yes,” Rey answered shortly. She took a deep breath, then continued. “I've got a bad feeling about it.”

Han, who had been about to take a bite of his food, froze. “What kind of bad feeling?”

“I don't know,” Rey admitted. “I just...there's something wrong about this mission, Dad. I can feel it.”

Han sat his fork down for a moment and cleared his throat. “He'll be fine, Poe's a tough kid.”

“That's not the problem,” Rey whispered. The problem was that if there was even the smallest sign of trouble, Poe wouldn't leave if he knew it meant leaving civilians behind in danger.

“He'll be fine,” Han repeated, but the tone of his voice made Rey wonder if he was trying to convince her or himself.

She stared down at her food, considering the odd feeling she had felt as Poe had gotten ready to leave. A coldness had overcame her, images of fires and blood being spilled raced through her mind, dissipating as quickly as they had appeared.

She shook the feeling off. Poe would be fine. He had to be.

The rest of the dinner was quiet, a fear-ridden silence having fallen between them.

 

* * *

 

_Fire and sand. Soldiers in white armor storming the village; screams of pain and anguish and fear. A man cloaked entirely in black striding forward with purpose, stopping a blaster bolt with some magical force...._

_Another man being dragged forward, thrown to his knees, painfully. Staying brave in the face of danger. The imagery changed, dissolving before she could make anything of it. Now it was on a ship; a young man, perspiration blanketing his forehead. He looked terrified out of his wits._

_Once more the scenery dissolved, replaced by that of a TIE Fighter in space. It was spinning uncontrollably, smoke pouring from the sides. It streaked towards a beige globe, crashing._

_Then the images came faster; bright flashes of crimson light, dark figure in a snowy forest, a TIE fighter exploding in a sea of sand-an island surrounded by water-_

 

Rey woke up with a start, sweat beaded on her forehead. Her heart was pounding and outside her quarters she could hear footsteps racing. Something was wrong.

She wasn't sure how she knew, but she did.

She hopped from her bed, dressing quickly out of her night gown, rushing out of the room and following the sea of different officers. She past Jessika and Snap, both of whom looked upset. Her heart plummeted.

She couldn't even bring herself to ask. Rey rushed forward, trying to ignore the growing sense of dread that she felt. She barged into the war room, stopping in her tracks as she realized everyone was gathered around, her father and mother included.

Immediately, they turned around to face their daughter. Han's face was filled with guilt, his mouth a thin line. Leia's face was a mask; she had gone into leader mode, but there was a pain in her eyes that Rey wasn't use to seeing.

Before her mother could even explain, Rey knew.

“Poe's missing,” Leia stated.

 

 

 

 

 


	2. Promises to Keep

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey is determined to rescue her friend, even if it's against her mother's orders. Thankfully, she's got backup.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Firstly thank you to everyone who encouraged me to write this AU in the first place, and thank you to everyone who commented on the first chapter and encouraged me to get off my butt and finish chapter two!   
> Secondly, major kudos to Nikki (leiastars over on Tumblr) for being a fantastic beta and just generally an amazing friend and thirdly, thank you to Nor (hanorganaas on Tumblr and Theladymore here) for brainstorming with me on this fic (in fact bits of that brainstorm inspired me for this chapter). Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter!

“Well, what are you waiting for?” Rey demanded, looking at her mother in disbelief. “Let's go to Jakku and find him-” she started to turn around but Leia caught her hand, halting her.

The look on Leia's face was a sad sort of stern, like she was giving an order that pained her to give. “The First Order got wind of what the mission was. A-” her voice broke for a moment and her eyes darted over toward Han before she continued. “A man named Kylo Ren killed Lor San Tekka.”

“Wha-what about Poe?”

“His X-Wing was destroyed in the battle. There was no sign of him or Beebee-Ate.”

Rey felt tears sting her eyes and swallowed hard. “Were-were they any survivors?”

“None.”

“Poe,” Rey whispered, disbelieving. He was alive, she knew it, somehow. “The First Order has Poe. We've got to get him back.”

“We're doing all we can.”

“Well that's not enough! Let me take a ship, I can get him back.”

“No,” Leia was stern. “You are not going.”

“I'm trained! I'm good with a blaster and I can fly a ship.”

“You're inexperienced,” Leia retorted sharply, an odd look in her eyes that Rey couldn't decipher.

“Yes, because you were so experienced when you were part of the Rebellion.”

Leia opened her mouth to continue the argument, but Han stepped in.

“Rey, that's enough. We've sent a team to Jakku, see if there's a trace of him or Beebee-Ate. We're going to do our best to find him. I promise.”

Rey hesitated a moment, then nodded. “I think....I think I'm going to go back to bed. Clear my head.”

“Alright,” Han replied, leaning forward and placing a kiss on the top of his daughter's head. Leia had turned around, focusing on the datapad in her hand. Rey couldn't say she was surprised. Her mother had switched back to 'leader mode'. It's what she always did when things were tough.

Here lately, it was the only thing she was doing.

Taking a deep breath, Rey faked a smile toward her father and walked away. There was no way she was staying behind while Poe was out there in the galaxy, in the hands of the First Order. There was only one way to stop being inexperienced-and it was going out on the field.

And that's exactly what she was going to do.

 

* * *

 

 

Her quarters was darker than she remembered. Rey switched the light on and began a search for a backpack. After a few minutes she found one, and then began another search of supplies she would need. Rations were a must; she quickly found those and tossed them inside. She grabbed a tool pack as well, just in case. Never knew when you'd have to fix something.

She grabbed a spare medpac as well, thoughts all over the place. Was Poe even still alive? Did the First Order have the star-chart? Were they heading to wherever it led to now?

Rey shook her head. It would be pointless to panic over thoughts that were unfounded worries. Poe was alive, somehow she knew that. He was alright. She took a deep breath and grabbed her blaster-it had been a gift from her father when she was thirteen.

She could do this. She _would_ do this.

Poe was counting on her.

A quick change of clothes later, Rey put on the backpack and headed toward the door, but halted for a moment, debating. She had a staff hidden beneath her mattress. It had been a parting gift from Luke Skywalker according to her mother; her mother, who, had been the one to teach her to fight in the first place.

From what she knew of Jakku, it was a desert planet filled with sandy hills, tough terrain to walk on. Barely a second later, her mind was made up. She grabbed the staff and stepped outside her room, praying to the stars that she wouldn't be caught.

She managed to get clear of the base itself; thankfully there wasn't even a droid on the landing bay. Now was the toughest part; picking a ship. Rey was a good pilot, or at least, she thought she was. She had taught herself off of simulations and she had watched her parents' fly _the Falcon_ multiple times-sometimes her father would even let her be the co-pilot.

 _The Falcon_....

It was insane; the idea was absolutely mad. _The Falcon_ needed two pilots, there was no way she can manage it on her own. But even so, the idea was too intoxicating to ignore. She dashed across the duracrete and up the ramp of the Falcon. Inside was just as home-y as it usually was. The ramp closed behind her. She abandoned her backpack and made her way to the cockpit.

Just as she broke through the doorway she froze at the sight that awaited her. Sitting in the pilot seat was none other than Han Solo. He grinned over at her. “Didn't think you were going to save Dameron on your own, did you?”

“You-you're going to-”

“Of course I am,” Han replied sincerely. “wouldn't be the first time I saved someone from Imperials.”

Rey grinned and took her seat beside her father in the co-pilot's seat. “Where's Chewie?”

“Staying behind,” Han answered, already flicking switches, starting up the old ship. “Someone's gotta watch after your mom while we're gone.”

Rey nodded, staring at the controls in front of her. Beside her, Han gave her a worried look. “I told you we'd save him, and we are. I promise.”

“Then what are you waiting for?” Rey inquired, motioning toward the controls.

Han smirked and pulled a lever; the Falcon's engines roared, rising off the ground. It arced upwards and shot straight up, into the unknown.

 

* * *

 

 

The trip to lightspeed was a long one. At least it felt long. Han didn't make much chit-chat, either knowing Rey wasn't in the mood for small talk, or just couldn't bring himself to in the first place.

When they came out of hyperspace, Rey sat up excitedly in her seat. Before them was the huge beige globe that was Jakku. Instantly, pieces of information she had read about the planet raced across her brain as they moved the ship toward the atmosphere.

Within minutes, they had landed. Han shared a glance with Rey. “This is going to be dangerous, you know. Scavengers aren't a friendly lot.”

“I didn't expect them to be.” Rey retorted. “What I did expect that it'll be dangerous to leave _the Falcon_ out here. They'd probably try to strip it for parts.”

Han scowled. “Good point. We shouldn't be long though, we're not far from the village.”

“Good,” Rey said standing up. She left the cockpit, a determined look in her eye.

“Blaster bolts,” Han muttered, getting up as fast as he could to dash after her. He recognized that look in her eye; he saw it all too often in Leia's eyes before she did something incredibly brave and incredibly dangerous. “Where are you going?”

“Outside to investigate,” Rey retorted, grabbing her blaster out of her backpack before slipping it back on. “You're staying put.”

“I'm sorry, but who's the parent in the room?”

“You are, but scavengers aren't going to mess with a famed smuggler.”

“You can't go out there on your own,” Han retorted, folding his arms. She let out a heavy sigh. Sometimes he could be just a tad bit too protective.

“I can handle myself,” she promised. She held up the blaster. “I'm armed, okay?”

“Fine,” Han sighed. He pulled something out of his pocket and tossed it to her. She caught it with ease and glanced down at it. A communicator. He held up one of his own. “So we can stay in touch. Contact me if there's even a glimmer of trouble, alright?”

“Alright,” Rey nodded. She gave him a reassuring nod and pressed the button to lower the ramp. Just before she headed outside, her father spoke. She turned around to face him.

“Rey....may the Force be with you.”

She nodded and headed outside, the sunlight partially blinding her for a moment. Now all she had to do was find Poe and Beebee-Ate.

Gods knew how she would do that.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Time: Rey's trek to Niima Outpost leads her to discover an old friend...and a new one.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed chapter two! Feel free to comment your thoughts/reviews! Also feel free to drop by my Tumblr (dameronstars) anytime to send in prompt requests!


	3. Skirmish at Niima Outpost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey embarks on her voyage through the Jakku desert to find Poe and BB-8, and ends up finding a lot more than she bargained for.

 

Sand. Endless sand.

Rey continued her trek over a rather large hill, sweat beading her forehead. Honestly, who could live here? The heat, the endless dunes that were nearly impossible to climb and all of the kriffing _sand_. She was a hundred percent certain that there was at least an inch of sand in her shoes already.

Suddenly her comm beeped, startling her out of her thoughts. “Yes?”

“ _How's it looking out there, kid?”_

“Of all the planets I've been on, this is the worst dirtball of all. How could anyone live here?” Rey retorted, stopping briefly in her voyage. It wouldn't hurt to take a small break anyhow, there was still plenty of time to continue the search.

“ _Either they don't have the choice, or they're just there for the parts. Years ago there was a battle between the Rebellion and the Empire. Left a lot of goodies for the locals to pick at, even after all this time with the sand shifting every once and while. Never know what you might find.”_

“Hopefully that includes an orange and white droid,” Rey remarked bitterly, plopping down on the sandy ground. “Honestly couldn't Poe have picked a more striking color scheme in case, oh I don't know, he's sent to a desert planet?”

“ _Well you can mention the paint job to him when you find him. Just try and make it quick. I've already had to deal with two scavengers. They got awfully chatty too when they realized who I was. Didn't realize I was so famous.”_

“You're a war hero, Dad. Of course you're famous.”

“ _They didn't seem to care too much about my days in the Rebellion. Asked loads of questions about the Kessel Run, though._ ”

Rey rolled her eyes. “Good to know you're never going to drop that.”

“ _Why should I? It's something to be proud of-”_

“To be proud of, yes. To mention every day? No.” Rey laughed, but any further response was cut short by the sound of a familiar beeping. “I've got to go!”

“ _Rey, what's wrong-?”_

Rey didn't answer, hopping to her feet and continuing her trek up the sand dune. She caught sight of a bizarre looking alien having great difficulty keeping a small, round orange and white droid in a net. Putting her communicator aside, Rey pulled out her blaster and aimed it at the alien. Keeping her voice calm and clear, she called out. “Step aside or get blast aside.”

The alien turned, looking half amused and half startled. When it spoke, it spoke in a different language. Recognizing the language, Rey answered the Teedo in the same language. It continued on the argument for a moment, vocalizing his frustrations with her and the droid. Finally the Teedo gave one last glare and cut the net completely from his luggabeast and carried on with his day.

Lowering the blaster, Rey watching after him for a moment before continuing down the hill, making a final hop down to the net-covered droid. Crouching, Rey began to free Beebee-Ate from the net. “Do I even want to ask how you managed to get into this mess?”

Beebee-Ate replied in an angry beep, mostly directed toward the Teedo.

“Oh really? He just attacked you out of nowhere.”

Beebee-Ate made a motion with his domed head that could have been considered a nod. Rey laughed, finally managing to free the small droid. “Honestly,” she said, “the trouble you always get yourself into.”

Her communicator beeped, reminding her of how quickly she had cut off the last call. “Blast,” she muttered, pulling out the comm and answering. Before she could even get a word in, her father began speaking.

“ _Rey! Are you there, what happened? Where are you-?”_

“Dad!” Rey cut in, “I'm fine! I found Beebee-Ate.”

There was a long silence and then, “ _Where?”_

“Not too far from Niima Outpost,” Rey answered, “which is where we're headed next.”

Beebee-Ate raised its' domed head, looking at her with what seemed like curiosity. Han seemed just as confused. “ _Why there?”_

“It's the closet town to the village. It's where Poe would go. Knowing him, he's probably charmed the locals already.”

There was a long sigh followed by, “ _Fine. Just make it quick. Does Beebee-Ate know what happened to the map?”_

Before Rey could repeat the question, Beebee-Ate let out a long whistle. Rey's eyes widened. Taking a deep breath, she answered her father. “He says Poe had the map. Which means we have to find Poe to get it back.”

Beebee-Ate looked up at her with a tone that looked almost like disapproval.

“ _Great. Why couldn't Dameron given the damn thing to Beebee-Ate? As soon as you get done checking out Niima Outpost, get back to_ the Falcon. _We don't need to stay here any longer than necessary.”_

“Yes sir, I'll let you know when we find him,” Rey said, cutting off the transmission. Once the line was off, Beebee-Ate vocalized his disapproval.

Rey groaned, “Yes, I know I lied. But I didn't really have much choice, did I? We have to find Poe. And if he knew that you had the chart, then that would be mission over. It won't take long to get to Niima, nor will it take long to search it. So long as as we get a move on, that is.”

Beebee-Ate gave an excited whistle.

“Yeah, Beebee-Ate, we're going to find him. I promise.”

* * *

 

Niima Outpost was filled with more villainous characters than Rey had expected. There were groups of people, scavengers by the looks of it, polishing their prizes. They weren't the unsavory lot, though. There were groups of what appeared to be bounty hunters, all of them kept shooting glares in Rey and Beebee-Ate's direction. That wasn't even the start of the wretched lot though, the worst of which was Unkar Plutt, a disgusting and vile creature that seemed to be in charge of things.

Now she and Beebee-Ate watched as two men began to surround them. Perhaps smarting off to Plutt hadn't been the best of ideas. Wasn't entirely her fault though, the kriffing laserbrain was one of the worst kinds of people there were, exploiting people for his own personal gain. And she wasn't going to let him get Beebee-Ate.

Apparently denying Plutt what he wanted had been a bad idea. As the men launched themselves on her, she tuned into her training. She pulled out her blaster, but within seconds it was wrenched from her grasp. One of the men grabbed her from behind. Behind the man in front of her, covered in a sack, was Beebee-Ate, letting out terrifed beeps and whistles, trying to free itself from its confinements.

Anger flowing through her, Rey kicked out her foot, connecting it to the chest of the man in front of her. She elbowed the man behind her hard in the gut, whirling out of his grasp, snatching her staff from the ground and spinning around, smacking him in the face with it. He fell to the ground.

She whirled, staff aimed at the second man, knocking him off his feet with the staff.

Panting heavily, she knelt down beside the skittish droid, freeing it of the bag.“You okay?”

The droid started to answer, but his sensor picked up on something behind her and he beeped angrily. Something about a jacket.

Rey turned around, seeking out whatever Beebee-Ate had seen. Standing under one of the canopies was a man wearing a brown jacket-a very familiar jacket. Poe's jacket.

Without hesitation, she charged. The man's eyes widened and he turned and ran. She quickly gave chase, but instead turned and ran around the awning-roofed area, stopping at the exit. The man, having turned to glance behind him, paid no attention as he nearly ran straight into Rey, but she smacked him hard with the staff, knocking him completely off his feet and onto the sandy ground.

He yelled, staring at her, concern for his life evident. Before Rey could say anything, Beebee-Ate rolled toward him and began to shock him repeatedly with its arc-welder.

“Ow, ow! Quit!” the man yelled.

“Beebee-Ate, stop!” Rey called. The droid turned to her, obviously disapproving of the order but rolled to her side, somehow managing to give a rather menacing glare at the man whom Rey turned her attention back to. “Who are you and why are you wearing that jacket?”

“The jacket?” The man cried incredulously. “All of this is over my _jacket?”_

“It's not your jacket!” Rey snapped at the same time as Beebee-Ate beeped the same reply. The two turned to each other for a moment, briefly amused, before returning their attention to the jacket thief.

“The jacket-?” then his eyes focused on the droid. “Orange and white....that droid belongs to Poe Dameron, doesn't it?”

“Who's asking?” Rey inquired, her grip loosing on the staff.

The man sat up. “I met him! He helped me escape-well, we both helped each other, I guess, but he mentioned something about a droid. He was determined to get back to you.”

Rey's heart dropped. “'Was'?”

“Our TIE it...it crashed. I parachuted out, but Poe...all I found was the jacket....”

She closed her eyes, willing the tears away. After everything they'd go through to get Poe back. Beebee-Ate let out a long, sad whistle and rolled away, needing a moment to himself.

Taking a deep breath, Rey looked up at the man. “Who are you, then? I've never seen you before, so I know you're not a resistance soldier. Political prisoner, then?”

“Um...yeah,” the man answered with a nod. “I'm a, uh, a senator.”

Rey arched an eyebrow. “From what planet?”

“Um...Teth. It's a new democracy.”

Before Rey could say anything in reply, Beebee-Ate let out a shrill, terrified whistle. Rey shared a look with the man in Poe's jacket and the two stepped outside to see what Beebee-Ate had seen to cause such a horrified response. As soon as she saw what it was, she froze.

Streaming toward them, silhouetted by the setting sun, was two TIE fighters.

They were in trouble. _Big_ trouble.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Time: Desperate to get away from the First Order, Rey, Finn and BB-8 flee back to the Falcon. However, what surprises are lurking ahead in their future? And perhaps, even their past?
> 
> I hope you enjoyed chapter three! Feel free to leave a comment (they're appreciated!). Feel free to send me prompts over on Tumblr (you can find me at dameronstars!).


	4. The Chase

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the First Order on their tail, it's going to take some fancy flying to get the galaxy's newest heroes out of trouble.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Firstly, a huge thank you to Nor (hanorganaas on Tumblr and Theladymore over here on AO3) for being the best grammar checker ever and helping edit this chapter and being a fantastic beta and just generally an amazing friend!  
> Secondly, a huge round of thank yous to everyone who's encouraged me to keep writing this AU, who's commented on this fic or even left kudos on it! I hope you all enjoy this chapter and the many more chapters to come after it!

All at once, facts about TIE Fighters began to race through Rey’s mind. Learning about ships had been a hobby of hers since she learned to read. Twin ion engines, two laser canons and a proton torpedo launcher were among the more interesting facts about the ships - often nicknamed “screaming demons”. As the twin TIE Fighters streaked through the sky, Rey was keen to agree with the nickname.

Suddenly, there was a hand in hers. She looked down to find the stranger’s hand entwined with her own and suddenly they were running. Reason told her there was no way they would outrun those TIEs. She had a feeling he knew that as well.

“I can hold my own hand,” Rey found herself saying. It was a habit she had picked up from her parents. When in danger, make a comment. Any comment, typically of the sarcastic kind. She didn’t think it was all that sarcastic nor witty, but she felt the need to say something.

Before the man could reply, the space behind them suddenly exploded into a burst of fiery debris. Rey felt herself go skyward and then she was rolling on the hand sand; her skin rubbed raw from landing so hard and so fast. She opened her eyes in time to see the TIEs moving ahead.

She sat up, dazed for a moment then stood up altogether as she realized what the TIEs were doing. Another run. Another attack. Swearing internally, she looked around frantically for the man and Beebee-Ate. Finally she caught sight of both and ran toward them. The man was covered in sand, dazed. She knelt down beside him. “Get up,” she ordered, “we need to go.”

He sat up completely, looking alarmed. “Are you okay?”

Rey frowned and nodded, “Yeah, I’m fine.”  _ I’d be more worried about you, since you took the brunt of it,  _ she thought. “Come on.” 

She extended her hand and he stared at it for a moment in confused, then he gave her the briefest of nods before taking it. And soon they were off. Rey found her communicator and switched it on. “Dad, going to need you to start up  _ the Falcon. _ ”

“ _ Rey! What’s going on?” _

“Take a look outside, Dad,” Rey replied sarcastically, glancing back behind her to make sure Beebee-Ate was keeping up. She heard Han swear from the other end. “Yeah, the bucketheads found us,” she stated. The stranger’s hand went slack for a moment in hers. Before she could make much sense of it, another explosion rang behind them.

“I need to go!” She barked into the communicator, “Get the old girl ready!”

“Where is this ship at?” the man shouted from behind. 

“On the outskirts of town!” Rey called back, “Maybe six klicks out!”

“We’ll never make it!”

“That’s the spirit!” Rey retorted, dropping his hand from hers, and focusing on running forward. Her eyes fell upon a sight and she nearly stopped dead in her tracks. “There!” She yelled. Not far from them was a speeder, enough room to fit two, thankfully fitted with a net that they could place Beebee-Ate in. 

“We’ll never outrun them in that!” the man protested.

“Won’t need to,” Rey said, veering toward the speeder. The man skidded behind her as she stopped in front of it, quickly instructing Beebee-Ate inside the net. Despite the small droid’s previous experiences with nets, he quickly obliged - no doubt just as terrified as they were. 

Rey turned to the man. “I pilot.”

“Good,” he replied. Quickly, they climbed aboard the speeder and Rey flicked the switch that started it; the engine roared to life. She pressed down on the throttle and the speeder took off at a surprising speed, everything around them becoming a blur.

The man kept a tight grip on the back of Rey’s shirt; however, he neglected to wrap his arms around her waist. She wasn’t entirely sure if he was trying to act brave or just respecting her space.

_ Sand dunes seem to go on forever, _ Rey thought as she swerved and veered past scavengers who didn’t look particularly concerned at the ensuing chase.

Another explosion rocketed behind them. Finn let out a swear and to her surprise yelled, “Punch it!”

Despite not being overly fond of being told how to drive, Rey pulled the throttle again, pushing the speeder to it’s absolute limits and suddenly everything was such a blur that she could barely see anything. 

“Blast!” Finn shouted behind her, “We got company!”

Rey glanced behind her briefly, not all too shocked to see two gaining speeders behind them; piloting them were Stormtroopers. “You got a blaster?” she inquired, turning back to concentrate on the path ahead of them.

“Not at the moment!” Finn answered, “Crash landing, remember?”

Without taking her eyes off the barren path ahead, she grabbed her pistol and handed it to him. “Hope you’re a good shot.”

“Pretty good shot,” he admitted, taking the blaster and turning around in the seat as best as he could and aiming the blaster carefully. A full three seconds later, he took the shot. The blaster fire hit the stormtrooper on the first speeder head on and the speeder itself; now without a pilot, whirled out of control nearly crashing the other speeder.

The stormtrooper on the remaining speeder; however, managed to avoid the crashing speeder and all of the man wearing Poe’s jacket’s shoots up until they reached the Falcon. Rey switched the speeder off and helped Beebee-Ate out of the net, ordering the man behind her to follow.

Together they ran up the steps where Han Solo awaited them, blaster out. “Go!” he ordered, “I got you covered!”

Rey nodded and bounded up the ramp, knowing when to listen to her father. Beebee-Ate trailed after her and the man trailing behind it. 

Before she had even made it properly inside the ship, she heard a shot go off and her father cry out in pain. Suddenly she was hit with a stab of pain to the shoulder. Whirling around she yelled as she saw her father hit the ground, hand clutching his right shoulder, a blaster wound evident.

Without a second thought, she rushed forward, grabbing her blaster out of the other man’s hand and shot randomly at the remaining stormtrooper. “Get him inside!” Rey ordered, not glancing back but somehow sensing her new ally helping her father inside.

As soon as she was certain everyone was aboard; Rey ran inside, closing the ramp. She looked around for the man wearing Poe’s jacket and saw him help her father to a bench to lay down on. She locked eyes with her father for a moment and he gave her a subtle nod. He was okay.

But she needed to get them out of here, and fast. Rushing to the cockpit, she sat down in the pilot’s seat and let herself have a brief moment where she considered how odd it felt to be sitting in her father’s seat. Then she began to flick switches and pull levers, determined to get  _ the Falcon  _ star-bound.

Another explosion erupted outside. The TIEs were back. “Hold on!” Rey shouted as she pulled the throttle, sending  _ the Falcon _ soaring upwards. The sudden take off shook the whole ship, pushing her back against the seat. She couldn’t help but felt a twinge of regret as she considered that her father and the man didn’t have much to hold on to.

“I’m going to need a gunner!” Rey called back as she veered out of the way of an incoming attack from one of the TIEs.

“On it!” shouted a voice.

More TIEs came, each attack more brutal than the next. Rey swerved, dived and veered as much as she could, but in a ship as huge as _ the Falcon _ , there wasn’t much she could do in terms of avoiding hits. 

A TIE to her right suddenly exploded in a fiery ball. She turned, surprised but heard the Jacket Thief’s voice over the comms. “ _ Whooo! _ ”

Any other time, she would’ve allowed herself a smile but she had to focus on getting them out of this first. She heard a shrill beep behind her. “Hold on, Beebee-Ate!” she instructed.

Another shrill, screaming beep came in reply. The ship went starboard, narrowly avoiding another TIE, only to be shot down. “One more!” Rey called.

Before the man could even reply, a shot rang off from the last remaining TIE, hitting the Falcon dead on. The whole ship shook, and warning signs started flashing on screens. 

Taking a deep breath, Rey called out, “Hold on!”

She pulled the Falcon up on its nose, hurtling straight up into the air, the TIE following behind. It was a maneuver Poe had told her about once and she had no idea if it would work.

She cut the engines. The Falcon went speeding back down to earth. She heard screams of alarm from behind and, once they had fallen past the TIE. She started the Falcon up again and a shot rang out, effectively destroying the TIE.

Smirking, she set the Falcon on auto-pilot and hopped out of her seat. Meeting her halfway was the man she had met in town. He was grinning wildly. “That was amazing! Where’d you learn to fly like that?”

At the same time she exclaimed, “That was absolutely brilliant! You are an excellent shot!”

“Thanks,” they replied in unison. They grinned for another moment before the man asked, “What’s your name?”

“I’m Rey. Rey Solo. What’s yours?”

He hesitated a moment, then said, “Finn.”

“Hello, Finn.”

Before either could say anything else, Han broke through. “What’s that?”

“What’s what?” Rey asked, turning back to the cockpit. As she did, she felt overcome with a wave of emotions and familiarity. Without hesitation, she moved back to the pilot seat, looking over the scanners. “There’s someone down there,” she said, feeling hopeful for the first time.

“Indigenous lifeform?” 

“No,” Rey said, taking the Falcon off auto-pilot. “Definitely not indigenous.”

Han glanced over at his daughter, a look of concern appearing on his face; but she didn’t seem to notice. 

She slowly moved the Falcon closer to the ground, until she finally caught proper sight of him. A grin appeared on her face. Han chuckled behind her. “Why that stubborn….” he trailed off though, just as elated as Rey was.

Walking through the Jakku desert was none other than Poe Dameron himself.

* * *

 

The second the Falcon had landed, Rey was down the ramp and out into the sandy desert once more. When Poe had caught sight of the ship, he had stopped his trek to wait on them. 

She rushed forward, more than ready to run and hug her best friend; but stopped in her tracks when she got close enough to see him properly. His face was bloody, bruised and covered in sweat. Rey took a deep intake of breath, anger flooding through her at the First Order for hurting her friend the way they had.

But Poe didn’t wait. He rushed forward, grinning and wrapped his arms around her, hugging her tightly. “I knew you’d come get me, Solo. Even if you didn’t have permission.”

“Technically we don’t, Dameron,” Rey replied, returning the hug. When she pulled away;, she quickly gave him a run-down of things.

“I leave for one day,” he joked. Then he caught sight of someone behind Rey. “Finn?”

Rey turned to see Finn standing at the end of the ramp. Poe rushed forward, giving Finn a hug as well. Finn stared at Rey, surprised but she gave him a shrug. Poe loved to give hugs, more so than she did. He was really the only person allowed to hug her besides her parents or Chewie.

“Guys, I hate to break up the reunion,” Han said from the ramp, “but we have a problem.”

Rey, Poe and Finn shared a worried glance and they headed inside. When they boarded, the ramp closed behind them. Before they could get any further, Beebee-Ate rushed forward, beeping more happily than he had in the time Rey had been reunited with him.

“Beebee-Ate!” Poe cried, grinning impossibly further. He bent down and began to chat with the droid, excited to be reunited with it. 

Smiling softly, Rey turned to her father. “What’s wrong?”

“The sublight drive’s been damaged. It’s not going to last a trip back to D’Quar.”

“Is there anyway it could make a trip to?” Poe inquired.

“That we could get the parts we need,” Finn added.

“There’s one place,” Han admitted. “It’s a bit far from Jakku, but not as far as D’Quar.”

Rey knew where he was talking about instantly. Without a word, she went to the cockpit to set the flight. As she did, she heard Finn ask where he was talking about.

The answer escaped her lips the same time they did her father’s.

“Bespin.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Time: Rey, Finn, Poe, Han and BB-8 make their way to Bespin, but what surprises will they find there? And what exactly is the First Order up to?
> 
> I hope you all enjoyed chapter four! Feel free to leave a comment (they're appreciated!).


	5. Universe Was Cloaked In Light

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our group of intrepid heroes arrive at Cloud City, but soon after their arrival, trouble strikes....and they might just lose one of their own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Firstly a huge thank you to Nor (hanorganaas on Tumblr and Theladymore over here on AO3) for being a fantastic beta and constantly encouraging/yelling at me to get off my butt and work on this thing and just being an amazing friend in general.  
> Secondly, a huge thank you to everyone who has encouraged me to write this, who has left kudos or even left a comment on here. It means a lot and it's what keeps me updating! :)  
> Hope you enjoy! :)

Rey had not been to Bespin in years. The last time she had been there, she had been helping Lando, her designated godfather, with mining. Of course, she had been eleven years old at the time and that trip had only lasted a week.

Now, as she stared at the gaseous giant, she felt a wave of emotion. Some feelings were excitement at seeing Lando again, concern of not being able to find the parts they needed and...something else. Something she couldn’t place, not yet anyway.

“It’s beautiful,” Finn mused behind her. She watched as he stepped into the room and slipped into the co pilot’s seat.

She cleared her throat and nodded. “Wait till we reach Cloud City. I don’t think there’s a more beautiful planet in the galaxy.”

There was a wonder to her voice, a sort of hopefulness that she regretted had seeped through.

The desperation to travel, to see if that assumption was right, to see more worlds than she could possibly count and to help anyone she could.

If Finn took notice of the wonder in her voice, he neglected to mention it. “I haven’t been on that many planets. Just my….my home world. And Jakku.”

“I bet your homeworld is a lot better than Jakku.” Rey remarked, pulling switches and pressing buttons as she began their descent.

“Not by much,” Finn retorted. “It’s...not a place I like to talk about.”

“Not an answer I’d expect from a senator,” Rey stated with a smirk. Finn’s eyes went wide for the briefest of seconds and blush formed on his face.

“Well, it’s more of a duty than anything-”

“I know you’re not a senator Finn,” Rey said, not taking her eyes off of the controls in front of her.   Finn went still beside her. “You...you do?”

Rey smiled widely as she turned to him. “Other than my mom, I don’t know any senator with a shot as good as yours. You’re obviously a soldier, and given how desperate the First Order was to kill you, I can only make one solid conclusion as to who you served for.”

He sat up straight in his seat. “I left them, I’m not part of the First Order anymore. I made a decision first mission out. I couldn’t be like them, I couldn’t conform to the ideal that they wanted me to.”

Rey’s hand dropped from the controls for a moment and she turned to him with a look of understanding on her face. “I believe you, Finn. I don’t care who you were. I care about who you are, now.”

Finn’s expression softened. “I thought you’d hate me.”

“Poe didn’t,” Rey whispered, as _the Falcon_ descended from a group of clouds, slowly making its way to Cloud City. “If Poe trusts you, so do I.”

“You two are close, huh?” Finn asked, wringing his hands together.

“Yeah,” Rey answered, pressing a button to send a message to the city. “This is Rey Solo, currently commanding _the Millennium Falcon,_ permission to land, over.”

“ _Permission granted, Ms Solo. Head to Bay Eighteen, over.”_

Before Rey could reply, two escorts appeared side-by-side, leading them to the correct landing bay.

“Yes,” she answered finally, before she turned to Finn once they had landed. “I am close to Poe. I’ve known him since...well, most of my life. He’s the closest thing I have to a brother.”

Han had stepped into the cockpit at that moment and stilled briefly before clearing his throat. “Contact Lando yet?”

“Called to let them know to get the fine china out,” Rey joked, turning to her father with a smile.

He nodded and exited the room, a frown evident on his face. Frowning herself, Rey turned back to the controls, confused.

 

* * *

 

One by one, the intrepid crew of the Falcon stepped outside onto the landing bay, waiting. Poe was looking around at the other landing bays, admiring the ships that sat upon them.

Finn was on alert, taking in his surroundings. Rey could practically see the gears turning in his head; the situations he was imagining that could happen, escape plans and backup plans and the results of each.

The door in front of them opened with a hiss and several guards filed out, each heavily armed.

Finally, a tall man with dark skin wearing an elaborate outfit stepped out, a smirk was prominent on his face. “Han Solo. Why is it the only time I see you is when you need a favor?”

Han smirked. “That’s because you’re the only person in the universe I could trust with _the Falcon_. Well, sort of.”

Lando’s smile fell, and was replaced by a scowl. “How many times am I going to have to apologize for the radar?”

“Not enough,” Han joked. Lando’s eyes lit up and a grin reappeared on his face. The two old friends embraced, hugging each other before pulling away, talking excitedly about recent events in their lives. Lando mostly talked about his wife, Tendra, who was away on Naboo for Senate business. Their daughter, Chance, had gone with her.

Lando’s eyes trailed over from his best friend to Rey and his smile grew impossibly wider. “Rey Solo. Kriff, you look just like your mother.”

A blush formed on Rey’s face. The idea that she could look anything like her mother had always sparked that flustered feeling. Either way, she smirked and replied, “I got her looks but I certainly got dear old dad’s wits.”

“I don’t know,” Lando replied with a laugh, “your mother is one of the wittiest people I know. Come here, give your old godfather a hug, will ya? It’s been years since I last saw you.”

Rey grinned and stepped forward, before wrapping her arms around her godfather. After a moment, she stepped away. “Lando, I’m sure you remember Poe.”

“Absolutely,” Lando said, stepping forward to take Poe’s hand and giving it a shake. “Last time I saw him he was a tad shorter though.”

Poe smirked, but didn’t say anything in return, which sparked a worry in Rey’s mind but before she could think of it much more, she continued the introductions. “And this is Finn, our friend.”

Lando smiled warmly, taking Finn’s hand. “Nice to meet you, Finn. Lando Calrissian.”

Instead of saying anything, Finn smiled warmly and nodded. Lando grinned, looking between the ragged group.

“To celebrate this reunion, we will have a feast of the ages while my people start repairs on the _Falcon_ . And to think you said you couldn’t trust me with the _Falcon_.” Lando remarked, stepping away and back into the confinements of Cloud City. Han fell into step behind him.

“Technically speaking, Rey was actually the one flying, not me.”

* * *

 

The feast had definitely been for the ages; meal upon meal had been offered to them and they had all taken it gladly. They talked of recent events in their lives, until the conversation had turned to the First Order and the Resistance’s struggle against it.

During the solemn conversation, Rey couldn’t ignore the look on Poe’s face, which was far from neutral. Finn also, seemed to find anything but Han and Lando interesting. Eventually, the dinner had ended and everyone had been scooted off to their rooms by robotic assistants.

Her room was large, a little too much in her opinion, and airy, filled with windows that gave her a view of a lifetime of  Bespin in all of it’s beauty. The bed in the center of the room was comfortable enough but each time she attempted to sleep, she was plagued with nightmares of a man in a black mask and a crimson light knifing through the sky.

Each time she woke from a nightmare, she awoke panting and sweaty, her heart pounding. Taking a deep breath, she hopped out from beneath the covers and stepped outside of the room, desperate for a glass of water. It was quiet out, something that surprised her. She at least expected some noises-perhaps Beebee-Ate’s soft chirping; however, the only thing that welcomed her was silence.

When she arrived at the kitchen door, she hesitated, noticing that it was ajar. Hand automatically moving to her hip where her blaster would usually rest-but of course wasn’t there-she stepped inside and her hand instantly dropped back down to her side.

Standing in the middle of the room, holding a glass of water, was Poe. Spotting her, his eyes went wide and instantly became sheepish. “I thought I was the only one up.”

“No,” Rey stated, “you’re not.”

He tutted, sitting down his glass. She stepped toward the refrigerator unit and made herself a glass of water. “So why are you still up, Dameron?”

“Why are you still up?” He inquired, a sad smile on his face. Okay, he was deflecting questions. He knew that she was familiar with the fact that he couldn’t lie, so he couldn’t do it outright. She hopped up onto one of the bar stools as she folded her arms. “Okay, well if you must know...nightmares.”

Poe stiffened a little but he cleared his throat. “What kind of nightmares?”

Thinking back on them couldn’t help but make her shudder. “A man...in a black mask and lights in the sky. The feeling of terror.” She sighed, looking back up to face her friend but she froze when she did. Poe had frozen completely now, face ashen. “Poe, what’s wrong?”

“D-did the man in the black mask have a name?” He mustered, looking up at her, eyes wide.

“I-I don’t-” she trailed off, remembering. The dream she had before she had found out that Poe had been taken in the first place-a man, a man in a dark mask. A man with power she’d never seen before.

_Kylo Ren._

A chill overcame her just thinking of the name, and yet a familiarity as well. The fact that the name felt so overwhelmingly powerful, so terrifying but so…..what was that feeling?

Before she could say anything else, screams echoed through from outside. Poe’s head shot up before he returned his attention to her. He was back in soldier mode. “Stay behind me, got it?”

Despite wanting to protest, Rey nodded, and together they ran outside. The hallway was in chaos; people running everywhere, either desperate to get to or away from something. Rey couldn’t tell.

Just as the duo got swept up into the sea, Finn rushed up toward them. His eyes were wide. “It’s the First Order.”

“Are they here?”

“I don’t know, but...they’ve done something….” He trailed off, words failing him. The horror on his face told Rey he knew exactly what had happened and somehow she felt the overwhelming sense of grief and disappointment radiating from him. He knew whatever had happened could happen.

He had just hoped that perhaps, they’d never go that far.

 _But how far?_ She wondered. _What was happening?_

“Guys-” Poe called, having stepped toward one windows. Sharing a glance with Finn, Rey stepped forward. The ex-stormtrooper followed.

All three stared out the window as three streaks of a blinding crimson light knifed against the night sky. There was no need to speak, there was a horrified fascination brought upon by the light.

Without warning, Rey was hit with an overwhelming sense of grief and loss. She stumbled backwards, eyes transfixed on the light above.

“Rey-Rey!” Finn cried out, turning around, catching her before she lost her balance completely.

“ _Rey! Rey!_ ” Another voice. Familiar, achingly so.

Stepping away from Finn, she began to follow it. Round a corridor, down a hallway, deeper into the very innards of the city itself until she turned one finally corridor. It was empty, save for a crate that didn’t look like it should belong there. It was old, rustic and covered in webs. She stepped forward and bent down beside it. She pried it open, carefully. It opened with a creak, dust falling in a cloud.

Inside laid a long, cylinder, silver object. A _lightsaber._

Like in the stories she had been raised on, like the weapon Luke Skywalker, her uncle, had carried before he had disappeared without a trace...or at least, they _thought_ without a trace.

As if in a trance, she reached forward. Just as her fingers barely grazed the handle; however, she felt a wave of something flow through her and she fell backward...only to find that she was in a different room. She was in Cloud City, she knew that.  But in an area she didn’t recognize. Somewhere, she heard heavy breathing-

The room began collapsing and she was running, running for her life-

She was in a forest; snow clung to the ground like a blanket. Above her she could hear explosions; a battle.

“ _Rey!”_ A voice, one she knew, one she could place. Finn.

“Finn-?” She tried to shout but no sound came. Behind her she could hear the heartstopping sound of a lightsaber being ignited. She turned around, ready to face whatever was behind her--

Only to have the imagery change again; a temple of some sort, children smiling and laughing in groups watching as others trained. A young boy, dark hair falling in his eyes, smiling sadly as he followed the directions he was given by an older man with sandy blonde hair--

And a crimson lightsaber slashed through the image, leaving the temple gone, destroyed in a fiery ruin. A man collapsed to his knees in grief, head bowed as an astromech droid watched and could only remain silent, knowing that it could not come up with anything that could help with the pain-

Then all at once the images faded, collapsing in on itself and she was back in Cloud City, in front of the box, staring at it, horrified.

“Rey, the First Order, they’re here-” Finn’s voice trailed off as he took in the sight of her, collapsed on the ground staring at the box. Without hesitation, he ran to her side. “What happened?”

She locked eyes with him and shook her head. “I don’t know.” She breathed.

“Are you hurt?” He asked, looking for signs of injury.

“No, I-I touched the lightsaber and I saw-”

Finn’s brow creased in confusion. “What’d you see?”

Before she could answer, there was a yell from outside the hall. “Guys, we need to go, now!” Poe called. He was staring worriedly away from them, obviously trying to keep track of what was happening.

Too much was happening at once. Her heart beating fast, panic threatening to overwhelm her, she took Finn’s hand. “He’s right, we need to go.”

Finn stared at her for a moment and nodded. He helped her up. “There’s no way we’re going to be able to get back to the _Falcon_ without weapons.”

“Can you fight with a sword?” Rey inquired, meeting his eye. He nodded.

“Depends, what kind of sword-”

She pointed at the lightsaber. “You take it. I’m not touching it again. I don’t want any part of it.”

“Right,” Finn whispered, reaching forward and taking it. “A lightsaber. I can manage this.”

“Kriffing-we got stormtoopers!” Poe shouted.

Finn ran toward the end of the hall, gripping the lightsaber tightly. “I got this. You two go, I got your back.”

“Finn, no!” Rey and Poe shouted at once.

“This isn’t the time!” Finn retorted, sharing a glance with them. “I’m right behind you.”

Rey stared at him for a moment and nodded. “I’m going to hold you up to that, you know.”

He grinned. “I know.” With that he turned around, igniting the lightsaber. It was blue in hue and hummed with energy. He held onto it with both hands raising it in the air, ready to deflect any blaster bolt that came their way.

“Be careful, buddy!” Poe said, taking Rey’s hand and dragging her away toward the _Falcon_.

Blaster-fire ricocheted against the walls; however none managed to hit either her or Poe, no doubt in thanks to Finn, who was trailing behind them. He deflected when he could, only stopping when he had to in order to fight.

Just as they had managed to reach Bay Eighteen, Rey heard someone shout from behind them, “ _Traitor_!”

Both Poe and Rey stopped, turning to see Finn raise his lightsaber in response to the stormtrooper pulling out a control baton. The two locked combat for a moment, with Finn getting the best of him for a moment. The stormtooper managed to get a bit of the upper-hand for a moment, bashing the baton into Finn’s side.

Yelling, Finn managed to use the lightsaber to slash the baton in two and made a gash across the chest of the stormtrooper with an arc of the blade. When the work was done, he switched the lightsaber off and stared in horror at the fallen trooper before running back toward Poe and Rey.

His face was sweaty but he gave a nod that he was okay.

Nodding, they took off together toward _the Falcon_ -

Only to be stopped to find that it was surrounded by stormtroopers. Finn raised his lightsaber, meaning to ignite it again but Poe grabbed his arm and lowered it. “Pocket inside the jacket. Hide it now.”

Automatically following Poe’s instructions, Finn stowed away the lightsaber just as Rey caught sight of the reason behind the order.

It was Kylo Ren stepping down from the ramp of the _Falcon._

Poe stiffened next to her as Kylo Ren marched toward them. Menacing, awful and terrifying were some of the words that raced across Rey’s mind to describe him. He stopped before them.

Somehow she could _feel_ his eyes on her’s and it made her skin crawl.

He stepped toward her, looking at her curiously. “You.” His voice was distorted but clear. “You’re the one that helped the droid get away.”

“Stay away from her,” Poe demanded, stepping forward. Beside her, Finn began to do the same.

However, Kylo Ren raised his hand and suddenly both men froze where they stood. Rey’s eyes widened in terror. She stepped forward to try and help but Ren’s attention fell once more onto her and suddenly she too was frozen.

He stepped toward her. “There’s something about you, you remind me of...” he trailed off.

“Sir,” a stormtooper said, stepping forward. “We have the droid.”

“There’s no need for it,” Kylo Ren retorted, barely giving the soldier a backward glance. “We have something far more...valuable.” He reached out his hand once more, palm out toward Rey. Just before everything went black, she caught a glimpse of Finn and Poe staring horrified in her direction, struggling against their invisible restraints.

* * *

 

As Kylo Ren stalked back to his ship, Rey in tow, the force that had kept Finn and Poe bound in place broke. Finally free, Finn screamed, racing forward towards the ship Kylo had gone off to. He screamed out a single word, each time he screamed it, the more helpless things seemed to be. “ _Rey!”_

Then suddenly there were rough hands on his arms. They dragged him backwards, back to where Poe was standing, his hands on his head, surrounded by stormtroopers. He stared, helplessly, as the ship took off and exited the atmosphere.

Before either men could say anything, another squad of troopers appeared, these holding both Han and Lando hostage. They pushed them toward Finn and Poe. “We found two more,” stated one of the troopers. “According to our sources, they were working with this squad of rebels.”

As Han and Lando fell into place beside them, Han turned to Finn and Poe, eyes wide as he recognized the missing element. “Where’s Rey?”  
Finn’s voice was but a hoarse whisper as he answered; “She’s gone.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Time: With Rey taken by Kylo Ren, Finn, Poe, Han and Lando must use their wits to escape from the grip of the First Order and find a way to message the Resistance before it's too late.
> 
> A/N: Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! It was a lot of fun to write. The title is a line from "Saturn" by Sleeping at Last, an incredibly beautiful (and heartrending) song. Feel free to comment your opinions/thoughts/reviews or just scream at me for leaving it at a cliffhanger!


	6. Secrets of the Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finn, Poe, Lando and Han make their escape from the First Order. Meanwhile, Rey awakes to find herself in the belly of the beast.....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Major kudos to everyone who's encouraged me to continue on with this fic-everyone in the Princess and Scoundrel Net (and thanks for all the blackmailing through angst to get off my butt and write), all of my lovely readers, and just generally anyone who's left kudos or comments. This chapter and the rest of this fic is dedicated to you. Special thanks to hanorganaas (Theladymore) for being an amazing beta/editor and threatening me with angst if I didn't write. Thank you so much dear! :)
> 
> Note: This chapter features the interrogation scene between Rey and Kylo. I just wanted everyone to know that. Also, there is more violence in this chapter than before.

“Gone where?” Came Han’s reply, his glare icy on Finn. The ex-stormtrooper, already weary from fighting and losing Rey, could come with no reply. Instead he fixed his stare on the ground in front of him, the weight of the loss falling heavy on his shoulders.

Rey Solo, one of the brightest people he had met in his life; Rey, who had cared for him in a way unlike any other. Rey who, like Poe, had looked at Finn like he was a person and not a thing.

She was gone and he couldn’t do anything to stop it.

Just like Slip.

Poe had adopted a look of pure determination and anger; it was the first time Finn had seen the pilot angry. Upset, afraid and excited were emotions he was used to seeing on Poe Dameron. “We can explain later,” he hissed, “but we need to get out of here first.”

“Poe’s right,” Lando said. His face was grim, all charm gone. For the first time since Finn had met him, the former smuggler’s age was evident. Years of horrors witnessed had come and gone, only to have those horrors reappear at his doorstep. “We need to get away, contact the Resistance. Other wise we’re sitting Lothal cats.”

“I’ve still got the lightsaber,” Finn whispered. “If no one sees me, I can get it. Maybe.”

“And I’ll grab one of their blasters,” Poe said with a nod, “We’ll be good as free once we’ve done that.”

“Excuse me,” Lando said, raising his hands, showcasing the binders on his wrists. Han did the same, showcasing his pair behind him. Lando let his hands drop. “What about us?”

“We’ll need a distraction,” Finn retorted. “We haven’t got long. They’ll be getting us a pair of binders too-”

“Excuse me,” Lando said suddenly, holding up one of his hands to get one of the stormtroopers’ attention. One turned, cocked their head slightly and stepped forward.

“What do you want, rebel?” A male voice spoke.

Lando pursed his lips then continued, “What’s your designated number, soldier?”

The trooper hesitated a moment then said, “FN-1507.”

“Do you have a nickname?” Lando inquired. The stormtrooper stiffened. Finn remembered something an older soldier had told him once; about how he was one of _those_ troopers _._ One who wanted to fit in but couldn’t. The only one without a name.

“They didn’t give you one, did they?” Finn spoke up, unable to contain himself. He internally swore; he should’ve kept his mouth shut, but he couldn’t. “Do you ever feel like you can’t fit in? Wonder if the organization you were raised to fight for is wrong? That maybe, just maybe, pulling that trigger is a mistake?”

Finn took a step forward; it was a daring move and some of the stormtroopers raised their blasters in response.

“Finn-” Poe said in warning, eyeing all the drawn blasters. Except one stormtrooper hadn’t drawn his: FN-1507. His blaster remained steadily at his side.

“Ever wonder if the reason why you’re not like the rest is because maybe you were never suppose to be? Wonder what your life would’ve been like if you hadn’t been taken away from your family? Raised for war? I’m telling you right now, I made a choice. All my life I wondered why I was different from them. Why I was born with compassion. And I was taught to ignore it. To ignore the instinct to help. But during my first battle, I made a decision. I wasn’t going to be who they wanted me to be.”

Finn took another step forward, staring at the stormtrooper through the helmet visor. He couldn’t see the person behind the helmet, but knew that FN-1507 saw him. “And you don’t have to be either.”

FN-1507 stood straight, and raised his blaster directly at Finn’s chest. Despite the threat, the trooper’s hands were shaking. For a long moment, the whole group seemed to take a deep intake of breath. Han, Lando and Poe in fear for their friend. The other troopers, waiting to see if their comrade would make the same traitorous decision that Finn had.

Finn, heart racing in his chest, stood still, waiting. The lightsaber was still in his-well, Poe’s-jacket pocket. If he had to, he’d use it. If he had to-

The blaster fell to the ground.

FN-1507 slowly turned around to his former comrades and spoke. “I won’t kill for them again.”

The entire group froze for a moment, sharing a glance with each other. One stepped forward and raised their blaster at FN-1507. “Y-you will be executed for your crimes.”

“Kiner-” FN-1507 began, but whatever he was going to say, he never got to finish. Kiner’s blaster went off, hitting the trooper dead center in the chest. The next second, FN-1507 was on the ground, blood oozing from his wound.

Finn let out a cry, but Poe grabbed him by the sleeve of his jacket, dragging him away. He  grabbed FN-1507’s fallen blaster as they took off, Han and Lando following behind them.

They ran, deeper into the city, down into corridors below. Finally, they stopped at what appeared to be the base of an old communicators tower. When they finally stopped, Finn removed the lightsaber from his pocket and handed it to Poe, who quickly used it to cut the binders from Han and Lando’s wrists.

“Who took my daughter?” Han demanded, stepping forward. For the first time, Finn saw Han as what he truly was: a fighter. Someone who was willing to go to any length to protect the ones he loved.

But it was Poe who answered. “Kylo Ren. Kylo Ren took Rey.”

Han’s face went white and he took a step backwards. Beside him, Lando looked equally concerned. “Kylo-” he couldn’t finish the sentence, whatever thought it was too terrible to voice.

Finn looked between the faces of the three men, all of whom looked terrified and something else….

Finally, it clicked. All three looked guilty.

They knew something he didn’t; which, admittedly, wasn’t all that surprising given the short time they’d known each other. But whatever it was, Finn had a feeling he wasn’t the only one in the dark. “Who is Kylo Ren?”

Han’s expression went dark and he turned away completely. Turning to Lando for explanation was no help either; the former smuggler turned away as well. He was unable to betray his friend by giving information he wasn’t ready to give.

Finally, Finn turned to Poe, who was staring at the ground. Suddenly he no longer seemed like the young, exuberant man who had helped Finn escape from the First Order. Now he seemed weary, a man who had seen too much.

“Poe,” Finn began. He didn’t want to pry, not when it caused his friend so much pain, but he needed to know. If it had something to do with Rey-with the man who had taken Rey-

“Kylo Ren,” Poe said faintly, still looking at the ground. “Used to be the apprentice of Luke Skywalker. He trained with him from an early age until one day...he fell to the dark side. He slaughtered the entire new generation of Jedi that Luke had trained. Because of it, Luke felt responsible and left. What happened that day shaped the events of the war. Shaped the events of their family.”

“Who’s family?” Finn asked, eyebrows furrowing in confusion.

Finally, Poe looked up. “Rey’s. Kylo Ren’s real name is Ben Solo. He’s Rey’s brother.”

 

* * *

 

_Water. An endless sea. In the middle, an island, fog blanketing it. Stairs, leading up and up and up. Until a ragged surface, standing atop of it, a cloaked figure. Turning around, so slowly-_

Rey’s eyes snapped open and she gasped as she took in her surroundings. She was in a cell, that much was obvious. She was restrained against some sort of interrogation table. Standing across the room was a man clad in black, face masked.

“You’re awake.”

Rey took a deep breath, trying to calm down. She must be on their base, wherever that was. The guess didn’t make her feel much better; but if she could escape, she could find out information they needed.

That is, if Kylo Ren didn’t kill her first.

He stood up, studying her curiously like she was a wounded animal. “Who are you?” He inquired, striding towards her. Her heart beating faster, she took another deep breath. She wouldn’t show fear in front of him. “You’re a warrior, I can see that. I can see it in your eyes. A woman bred for war.” He continued.

“I’m not a warrior,” Rey hissed before clamping her mouth shut again. Talking wasn’t good, it would only provoke him. Who knows what he would do then.

He sighed, or at least it sounded like he sighed. “It would make things easier if you simply said who you are.”

Rey steeled herself and leaned forward slightly. “Who are _you?_ ”

The masked man said nothing in return.

“Kylo Ren, I know that.” Rey continued, heart racing, “But who’s the monster under that mask?”

Taking another step forward, Kylo Ren raised his hands and Rey stiffened, expecting a blow of some sort. Instead of hurting her, he removed his mask. The second the mask had been removed, Rey froze, staring at him incredulously.

Beneath the mask, he looked no more like a monster than she did. He was young, his face suggesting an innocence that was no longer there. In fact, he reminded her of someone-

“Am I such a monster?” He inquired, sitting the helmet down on a nearby table. “I want to know who you are….what you know. You know I have other means of finding out. You would know that from your friend, Poe Dameron.”

Anger flowed through her and she glared at Kylo. “You’ll regret what you did to him.”

Kylo smiled. “Really?” He raised his hand, palm out and suddenly she felt a wave of _something_. An incredible wall of strength forcing itself against her mind; she bit down on her lip, trying to ignore the pain. Sweat beaded as she tried to focus on something else-the mask on the table-anything but the pain.

“You’re desperate to prove yourself,” Kylo remarked, eyes closed. “You want to save everyone you can…..you long for adventure. And...you feel a sense of...abandonment, one you cannot understand. Because you still have the ones you care for the most-”

“Enough,” Rey protested through gritted teeth. The pain was almost unbearable now, but somehow she was fighting back. With each shove back, she fought. She wouldn’t let him inside her head, wouldn’t let him know who she cared the most for-

Kylo’s eyes snapped open, seeing something he hadn’t been expecting. His eyes were wide, filled with shock and recognition. Taking this opportunity, she fought back, looking inside _his_ mind.

Loneliness, a pull to the light….fighting to stay within the dark and...fear.

“You struggle to stay in the dark,” she said, “you fear you’ll never be….as powerful as-as your grandfather-”

Before she could see any further, however, see _who_ his grandfather was, the connection was broken. Kylo stumbled backwards, staring at her in horror. She returned the stare, glaring at him with a hint of satisfaction on her face.

“This-isn’t over,” he whispered faintly, crossing the room and exiting, leaving only one guard. She let out a deep breath and leaned backwards, all strength faded.

* * *

 

“Kylo Ren is-” Finn trailed off. The thought was too much to comprehend. Then he locked eyes with Poe. “Rey doesn’t know, does she?”

He shook his head. “No, she she doesn’t. The General and Solo they….after their son went to the dark side, it almost completely tore them apart. The only reason they stayed together was because of Rey. But they were terrified that what happened to Ben would happen to Rey as well.”

“So what did they do?” Finn inquired.

“Hid her through the Force, kept her out of sight of the media. Kept the truth from her.”

“Is Rey a Jedi?”

“No,” Poe said, stepping forward to follow Lando and Han. Finn fell into step beside him. “She’s strong in the Force, though. The General says it’s damn near impossible to keep her hidden in the Force, but now…..”

“Now she’s in the last place she needs to be.” Finn finished before he turned to Poe. “But Rey’s strong, she’s smart and kind. She’s not going to turn evil.”

“I want to believe that,” Poe whispered faintly. “I need too. I knew Ben, had a few passing conversations with him. I wouldn’t have considered him a close friend but still….”

“He knew you? But he tortured you-”

“Yeah. Guess when you go the Dark Side, you end up not having friends.”

“He wouldn’t hurt Rey, would he though? A bond between siblings-”

“Would mean nothing. Their bond was severed. I’m not even sure he knows she’s alive.” Poe answered.

His mind racing with all the answers, Finn stayed silent for a long moment before he finally asked, “Why do you know all of this?”

“Like I said, I knew Ben in passing. It wasn’t a secret when the Jedi Order was massacred but no one knew who did it. Everyone generally assumed Ben was one of the victims. So did I. I thought that’s why General Organa and Han were having problems.”

“So how’d you find out?”

“They told me. They needed someone to keep Rey safe when they couldn’t and that person ended up being me.”

“So you’ve known? The whole time-”

“Yes,” Poe said, stopping and turning around to face Finn. “And it’s killed me every day. But I couldn’t tell her. Not just because of orders, but because-”

“Because you couldn’t bring yourself to tell her what was in her blood.” Finn finished; overcome with understanding. He imagined himself in Poe’s shoes; a man who cared about his friends so deeply and so honestly, having to keep a secret this big from one of the people that mattered the most to him.

Poe nodded. Before the pilot could say anything in return, Lando reappeared in the room. “We’ve got one of the old communicators working again. We’ve programmed it to the Resistance codes so with any luck, we can contact them.”

“Let me,” Poe said, walking forward. “I am technically the only person in the room that is an active Resistance fighter. I should do it.”

“If the line is overheard-which there’s a good chance it will-it’ll put an even larger target on your back.”

“Let it,” Poe retorted as he accepted the comms device from Lando. He pressed the on switch and spoke. “This is Poe Dameron. The First Order has taken over Cloud City, we’re in desperate need of assistance. I repeat, Cloud City has been taken over by the First Order.”

As soon as the line had been brought up, it went dead. The hope that had appeared on Poe’s face faded slightly and he handed the comms device back to Lando. “I hope that the informant got the message. If they didn’t-”

“We’re going to have to deal with a group of heavily armed stormtroopers to get to the _Falcon_. If the sublight drive was put in on time.” Lando finished with a sigh. “I’m really starting to think this place might be cursed with bad luck. Bad enough I can’t even win a game of Sabacc when I’m here.”

“I thought those days were over,” Han remarked, stepping back into the room.

“Don’t mind a game every now and then.” Lando responded with a shrug.

“Either way,” Finn said, stepping forward. “We need to get a move on, unless we want to get captured again.”

“I’m not particularly in the mood,” Poe admitted.

“Then let’s go,” Han said roughly. He turned around and stalked out of the room. Slowly, Lando and Poe went to follow. Finn hesitated a moment, watching after the great Han Solo, the war hero the smuggler and the man who had gone from a life of gray morality, to becoming a hero.

He thought of all the man had done to keep his daughter safe, after losing his son and now none of it mattered. Because she was gone.

* * *

 

“General Organa,” Threepio said excitedly, entering the command center. Leia, who had been staring at the  holographic map in front of her, turned around.

“What is it Threepio?”

“I’ve just gotten word from Commander Poe Dameron,” Threepio answered, moving toward her. “He says that he is on Bespin.”

“Do you still have the message?” Leia inquired urgently, staring at Threepio, expressing more hope than any had seen from her in many years.

“Well, of course. One of our informants-”

“Connix,” Leia started, turning to the Lieutenant; but she was already on the move, ordering Threepio to follow her. A few seconds later, the message Poe had sent was playing:

_“This is Poe Dameron. The First Order has taken over Cloud City, we’re in desperate need of assistance. I repeat, Cloud City has been taken over by the First Order.”_

Every eye turned to Leia once the message started to repeat. It was her decision. It was always her decision. She stood up straight, eyes passing over each member present. “We’re going to Bespin. We’re going to fight. And we’re going to bring them home. Dismissed.”

There were nods and “yes ma’am”s from the group. Leia turned around, frowning. Something was wrong. Something terrible within the Force…..

_Rey._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another cliffhanger! Well, ish.
> 
> Next Time: Still trapped within the confinements of the Starkiller base, Rey attempts to make her escape. Meanwhile, still on the run from the First Order, Finn, Poe, Han and Lando await for their reinforcements....
> 
> As always, feel free to leave a comment! Or just yell at me for the angst and another cliffhanger. Sorry 'bout that.


	7. Trust and Belief

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Resistance is on their way to Bespin but Leia worries if they'll make it time. Meanwhile, Rey finds wisdom from an unknown ally....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well here we are, everyone! At chapter seven of Awakening. To be honest, I never expected to write a chapter one, let alone seven chapters. Once again, as I always do, I'd like to thank everyone who's made this fic happen: everyone in the Princess and Scoundrel Network, because they pushed me and encouraged me and occasionally blackmailed me with angst to write this fic.
> 
> Another thank you to everyone who's left kudos, who's subscribed or commented on this fic. It means a lot to me.
> 
> And last, but not least, a huge amount of thanks to hanorganaas (Theladymore) and leiastars for being amazing betas, friends and sources of angst-blackmail a girl could have.

The transport ship was so quiet she could hear a pin drop. Leia Organa, the fiercest general in the New Republic, was no longer just a general. She was a woman terrified for her daughter, for her husband and for one of her closest friends. 

They had attempted to leave without her knowing, but she always knew. Their bond through the Force was too strong. And now, now it felt as if a great weight had fallen upon her heart. Something was wrong. Han was devastated….and she could feel the devastation was coming from a source close to his heart…..

Chewbacca let out a low growl beside her, startling her out of her thoughts. She nodded. “I know,” she responded. But even Chewbacca’s comforting words weren’t easing her worry. It was a long way to Bespin and she didn’t know what could happen in the meantime.

She just had to pray that she would make it in time.

* * *

Rey stared down at her restraints. If she could just manage to get out of them…..

Suddenly a memory, long forgotten, appeared in her mind. A voice, telling her about a story. A story of a young boy, thrown into a world of danger and adventure...an old man, capable of powerful tricks--

She froze, heart racing. Could it work? The dreams she’d been having…..how she was able to resist Kylo Ren…..

Maybe her parents had been wrong. Maybe she had inherited a few things from her uncle….

The guard was still behind her, his back to the wall. If only….

“You will remove these restraints, walk out of this cell and leave the door open,” Rey said faintly, her voice shaking. 

“Excuse me?” The Stormtrooper inquired. A few seconds later, he was at her side. Rey could sense his annoyance even through the helmet.

“You-” her voice broke off. Oh kriffing hell what was she thinking? She was dead-

_ Believe in the Force, Rey. _ said a voice that wasn’t her’s, or the trooper’s. Startled, she froze for a moment then started to speak again. To make an excuse, but the voice wouldn’t let her go.

_ Trust in the Force. Let it in, Rey. These are your first steps. _

The voice, oddly calming, was familiar. She took a deep breath, searching for that odd and particular feeling she got when she had an odd vision or when she had fought off Kylo Ren….

A calm fell upon her, a strength she had never known. Looking up at the Stormtrooper, she spoke clearly. “You  _ will _ remove these restraints, walk out of this cell and leave the door open.”

The trooper froze, then straightened. “I will remove these restraints, walk out of this cell and leave the door open.”

He reached forward, pressing a button on the wall and the restraints snapped open. He crossed the room and exited the doorway.

_ Weapon, _ she thought.

“And you’ll drop your blaster,” she stated firmly, not believing her luck.

“And I’ll drop my blaster,” the Stormtrooper said and, with a clang, did as he was told. She glanced behind her, to find the door open, a blaster on the ground, and not a trooper in sight.

_ Run, Rey!   _ Said the voice. 

“Right,” she whispered. Because even though the advice was coming from the disembodied voice of some oddly familiar sounding guy; it was still solid advice.

She stepped out of the interrogation chair and ran toward the door, stopping briefly to grab the blaster. 

Now all she had to do was steal a ship.

* * *

“I hate all this sneaking around,” Han muttered as they rounded yet another corner. “I want to punch something.”

Poe couldn’t really argue with him. He wasn’t fond of all the sneaking around either, but it beat getting captured by the First Order...again.

“It’s this or getting shot,” Finn reminded Han. The former stormtrooper made no sign that he knew about the Solo family’s biggest secret and carried on as usual. 

Of course it didn’t make Poe feel any better. He cared for Finn a great deal, yes. Considered him a friend, yes. But being able to tell him when Poe hadn’t even managed to tell Rey….

Not that he hadn’t nearly come close to telling her before. He had multiple times. The worst time had been one night after they had lost a member of the squadron, Trip. The group had taken to a nearby bar and Poe had drank a little too much. 

In a drunken state, he had come to the resolution that he had only one choice: he had to tell Rey. And so, he had marched up to her dorm, knocked on the door, and upon her opening it, promptly fell unconscious. 

It had been an embarrassing moment for sure; but was worse was trying to explain why he had come there in the first place the next morning. He had woken up on her couch, a glass of water on the make-shift coffee table Rey had built herself.

“ _ Why did you come here, Dameron? I get you were slobbering drunk but you must’ve had a motive.” _

He had stammered his way out of it; giving her a lie about there being a dare on who’d be brave enough to try and wake her in the dead of night-a danger in itself-but he’d promptly fainted from too much alcohol. 

“Do you think the Resistance got the message?” Lando inquired as they stopped moving briefly. Han was peering from behind the corner of the corridor, looking for signs of any troopers.

“With any luck,” Poe muttered. He knew telling Finn had been the right thing to do; but thinking about what he had told the former stormtrooper-actually thinking about it, not just blinded  believing what Han and Leia had told him…..there was something wrong…..

“We need to get out of here,” Finn said suddenly. But before Poe could respond, there was a blaster being shoved in his face. He froze, instinctively raising his hands.

“Move, Rebel Scum.” said the stormtrooper.

* * *

“There’s something about her,” Kylo Ren stated, looking up at the holographic figure of Supreme Leader Snoke. “She’s powerful in the Force….untrained but stronger than she realizes.”

Snoke nodded as if expecting this. “Is she...familiar to you?”

Kylo hesitated; he couldn’t lie to Snoke. There was something familiar about the rebel, something he couldn’t place, something long buried. “...Yes. But I don’t know how.”

Then a memory, buried deep within, came to surface. A small figure, dark hair bouncing behind her, yelling excitedly. A rather disgruntled fifteen year old version of himself, pretending to be annoyed….

_ “Ben!” She cried, throwing her arms around his shoulders. “Are you not having fun?” _

_ “Plenty, sweetheart,” he had replied, using the nickname that their father had so often used- _

Kylo Ren stiffened, clearing his throat. It couldn’t of been her though. She had died. He  _ felt  _ it.

She was dead.

Before either man could say anything further, the door opened with a hiss and General Hux strode through. “Sir, we believe we may have found out the location of the Resistance base.”

Snoke’s eyes lit up. “Do tell, General.”

* * *

This was definitely not a good day, Poe decided as the stormtrooper grabbed him roughly by the arm and dragged him off. Beside him, Han, Finn and Lando were getting the same treatment. The squad stopped when they reached another landing bay. This one different from the one the  _ Falcon  _ was currently based.

“I wouldn’t move, Rebel Scum,” said one of the stormtroopers to Poe, wrenching away the blaster he’d picked up. Another trooper started doing searches on all of them. Poe bit back any sarcastic remarks he might come up with. It was one thing when he was on his own-with so many people relying on him...that was a different thing.

The trooper hesitated while searching Finn, obviously feeling the odd weight of the lightsaber in the jacket pocket. Within seconds, the mythical weapon was wrenched away from Finn. The trooper cocked his head at it, before turning back to Finn. “Betraying us for them? Really got you somewhere.”

Before Finn could respond, some of the other trooper’s started shouting. The one facing them turned around to see what was going out and let out a swear, rushing forward, tossing the lightsaber at another trooper. The rest of them had their blasters out now.

Off in the distance, Poe could see….

He could see……

“The Resistance,” breathed Han at the same time as Lando let out a swore of approval.

Suddenly blaster bolts were flying; troopers fell down before they could even get a shot out. An X-Wing flew over head, arching as incoming TIEs started firing on the squadron.

_ His squadrons. _

Red and Blue Squadron had come to the rescue.

“Come on,” Han said, as the troopers that had been holding their weapons fell to the ground. He wrenched away the lightsaber, handing it to Finn. Han, Poe and Lando wrenched blasters from the stormtroopers. Taking two, Poe tossed one at Finn, who was more experienced with a blaster than a lightsaber. Together the four of them-as they ran-shot down any trooper that made their way toward them, blaster raised in malicious intent.

Blaster fire rang across the courtyard as TIE fighters exploded high above and stormtroopers fell below. Finally, the battle was over at last. The four stopped, taking deep breaths.

* * *

Han stood up a little straighter, however, when a transport ship landed on the nearest bay. The doors opened with a hiss and Resistance members began to pour out. He waited impatiently. Then finally, he spotted the familiar figure of his best friend, Chewbacca. The wookiee let out a low growl of relief and stepped away revealing a much smaller figure.

Her face crumbled with relief spotting him. He watched as her eyes trailed behind him expectantly, but caught sight only of Poe, Finn and Lando. Her eyes, wide and tired and fearful, met his.

He shook his head and suddenly there was no more General, no Princess and no Senator. There was only a mother who had lost her daughter. And she moved forward, closing the distance between them, wrapping her arms around him and burying her face against his shirt. 

Without a word, he wrapped his arms around her. He pressed his head down against her’s gently. Neither said anything.

* * *

Poe and Finn watched, fury written plain on their handsome features.

“We’re going to get her back,” Finn stated. There was a tone to his voice that made it sound as if there wasn’t an option; there wasn’t, not to them.

“Whatever it takes,” Poe finished solemnly, anger flashing across his face once more. He glanced up at the sky. 

_ Here we come Kylo Ren. You better get ready. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter ended, another mini cliffhanger! And what about that cameo, eh? Feel free to leave behind your comments about the cameo, to yell at me for another cliffhanger and angst, or just whatever! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! :)
> 
> Next Time: Poe and Finn are determined to do anything to rescue Rey, even if it means stretching the truth a little. Meanwhile, Leia has a vision that could change the course of the battle of Starkiller.


	8. Nobody Can Save Me Now

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finn and Poe plan on rescuing Rey. Meanwhile, as the Resistance prepares for the battle against the First Order, Leia has a grim vision of the future...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The end of this fic is slowly reaching an end. I'm kind of sad about that. But there'll be plenty of future fics to come! Once again thank you to all my lovely readers who constantly inspire me to write more. Every kudos you've left and every comment..well, commented, means everything to me. 
> 
> Major, major thanks to hanorganaas (Theladymore) for beta-ing this for me and being a fantastic beta, friend and source of angst blackmail. and being the first people to swear at me because of a fic. I consider it a victory.
> 
> And a thank you to leiastars for encouraging me and putting up with all my fangirling and being an amazing best friend.
> 
> One more note: there's a mention of Han's apparent death. It does not occur in this fic, though. It'll make sense later.

When the transport ship landed and everyone exited, Finn stopped briefly on the landing bay to take in the sight. The Resistance base was built inside an old worn building, tech of all sorts spilling out from inside. X-Wings were lined across the bay and, at the end of it, the _ Falcon _ where Han Solo was stepping off the ramp, a small orange and white droid following closely behind.

Poe stepped up beside Finn, his arms folded across the black leather jacket that Han had given him after they’d rescued him on Jakku. “Do you know what caused those lights in the sky?”

“Yeah,” Finn said, turning to his friend. His face was serious and weary. “It’s called the Starkiller base. It’s a superweapon, capable of destroying entire systems.”

“How, though?” Poe inquired with a frown.

“They developed a way so that the blasts could travel through hyperspace. Basically it drains the energy of a nearby sun, powering the weapon. When it’s fired, it’s transformed into a state called ‘phantom energy’. From there, it can tear a hole in hyperspace, travelling on a linear path and-”

“Eventually hitting it’s target dead on,” Poe finished with a nod. “Is there a way to stop it?”

“Possibly,” Finn admitted. “I was stationed there once, when I was a cadet. It’ll be difficult but not impossible.”

“Good,” Poe said, looking up with a fiery determination in his eyes. “We can send Snap for recon, maybe we’ll get a better look that way.” Poe took off, heading for the entrance Finn ran after him frowning deeply, grabbing his friend by the arm, stopping the pilot.

“Poe, wait. We don’t have that long to wait, we have to rescue Rey-”

“We don’t even know where she is,” Poe retorted. There was a coldness to his voice that Finn wasn’t used to hearing. The ex-stormtrooper, taken aback, released his grip on the pilot’s arm. “We don’t know where she is, or if she’s even still-” he trailed off, unable to voice the fear that had been no doubt plaguing him since Rey had been taken.

Finn took a deep breath, not quite sure how to comfort his friend. He himself was having a hard enough time with Rey’s kidnapping, and he’d only known her a day. He could barely imagine what Poe, who had known her for years, was feeling. Poe, regret clouding his features at his outburst, sighed and started to walk away once more when Finn found his voice.

“She’s there.” 

Poe froze in place. Despite being unable to see the pilot’s face, Finn could practically feel the hope radiating off him. 

“What?”

“Starkiller base. She’ll be there. That’s where he would take her.” Finn answered. “That’s why we don’t have a moment to lose.”

Poe turned back around and moved back over to Finn. 

“Do you have a plan?” He asked

Finn paused. Did he have a plan? He hadn’t really thought that far ahead. Going back to his training, he straightened up. “Ish. We’re going to need that recon after all.”   
  


* * *

Some time later, nearly all the members of the Resistance had crowded around the holo-table in the Command Center. Poe watched, arms folded as Snap pulled up a holographic image of the Starkiller base.

Poe listened intently as both Snap and Finn began to explain how the superweapon worked. Once they were finished, one of the commanders said, “What do we call a weapon of this size?”

Another of the commanders chuckled grimly. “A new Death Star.”

General Organa’s face darkened from across the room. Poe watched her carefully, empathy for her almost overwhelming. She had lost her entire planet to a similar weapon.

“This,” she said, “took out the entire Hosnian system. It’s far worse than the Death Star.”

“But the First Order concluded their main objective,” said one of the other commanders, “They’ve destroyed the Republic. What more could they want?”

“Don’t be so naive,” said Major Kalonia, her voice, always sweet, had a bitter edge to it. “Who else stands against the regime of the First Order?”

As if to answer her question, one of the other officers rushed up to Leia, a message in hand. The General stiffened as she read it. When she had finished, she let out a weary sigh. “The First Order is charging the weapon. It has a new target.”

A silence fell upon the room. Poe had a feeling he already knew the new target.

“It’s us,” Leia finished solemnly. Han scowled behind her.

“Okay, it’s a super weapon. We’ve destroyed superweapons before.  _ Two  _ Death Stars, remember?”

Poe leaned forward, pulling up a new holographic image. Within seconds an image of the first Death Star appeared and beside it, a few seconds later, an image of the Starkiller base. The latter towered over the Death Star. “I’m afraid that this is what the Starkiller is in comparison.”

“Bloody hell,” whispered Snap. Poe shot him a weary glance and the X-Wing pilot shrugged in return.

“Okay,” Han admitted, a little put off. “It’s big. But we can still destroy it. There’s always a flaw in these things that the creators always overlook.”

“There is,” Snap said, pulling up another schematic. “There’s a thermal oscillator. It’s generating a containment field, if we destroy it, then-”

“Boom?” Poe put in helpfully.

“Boom,” Snap confirmed.

“There’s shields around the planet,” Finn put in, “but it has a fractional refresh-”

“Which means a ship could get through,” Leia said, glad for this news. “To get Rey back.”

“And to turn off the shields so we can go in a bomb the place,” Jessika remarked.

“I was stationed there, I can disable the shields,” Finn said confidently. 

“I’ll go with him,” Han stated. “My daughter’s there. I’m rescuing her.”

Leia locked eyes with her husband, then nodded. “Then you all have your missions. Get ready.”

Poe shared a glance with Finn, who nodded and headed off to get ready. Poe hesitated a moment, debating. He had a responsibility as an X-Wing pilot to be one of the pilots to try and destroy the Starkiller...but he also had a responsibility as a friend to save Rey.

And he wasn’t quite sure which responsibility would win.

* * *

_ A chasm, wide, filled with light. Shadows cast upon the two figures standing on the bridge above. A lightsaber, held between two men. A burst of crimson light, blade sinking deep into the face of a beloved, a gasp and a last breath, a hand reaching out to stroke the face of his son, until he was falling, falling, falling… _

“Leia,” said a voice, startling her out of her meditation. She whirled, staring at Han, disbelief written plainly across her face. Shaking her head, she stood up, wrapping her arms around her husband.

Shocked but not displeased, Han wrapped his arms around her in return. 

“You okay, sweetheart?” He asked

Leia could have laughed. It was a nickname he hadn’t used in awhile and despite whatever she might’ve said to him to prove otherwise, she had begun to miss it.

“Don’t go,” she whispered, cheek rubbing against his leather jacket. She could feel him freeze in her grip.

“Why?” He was confused and shocked. She could practically hear him thinking  _ doesn’t she want me to save Rey? _

She pulled away, staring up at him. “I just…” she trailed off, thinking back to the vision.  _ A crimson blade, piercing his chest.  _ She cleared her throat, locking eyes with him. “I have...just don’t go, Han. Please. I can’t lose you too.”

He nodded, eyes widening in realization. “Okay. Okay.” Without another word, he wrapped his arms around her, pressing a kiss to her forehead and pulling her close to him. Silently, she returned the embrace, a tear falling down her cheek.

_ Falling, falling, falling… _

_ Fallen. _

“General?” 

She pulled away from Han, eyes falling upon the figure in the doorway. It was Poe. “Yes, what is it?” She said, straightening up.

“I want to go with Finn to rescue Rey.” Poe said determinedly. 

“But the Squadron,” Leia stated. “They need you Poe.”

“I failed in my mission to protect Rey on Bespin. I’m not going to fail again. I’ve talked to Snap and Jessika, they’re good. They can handle this mission on their own.”

Leia sighed, taking a step forward, looking up into Poe’s eyes. “I know you, Poe. And I know even if I give you a direct order to get your butt into your X-Wing to go with the Squadron, you’ll disobey the orders and go rescue my daughter.”

He didn’t even look sheepish or embarrassed by this. All three knew it was the truth.

Leia groaned. “So go. Finn’s going to need all the help he’s going to get if he’s going to the belly of the beast.”

“Take Chewie,” Han spoke up, stepping up beside Leia. “He can help you pilot the  _ Falcon. _ ”

Poe’s eyes widened. “You’re...you’re letting me pilot the  _ Falcon _ ?”

“Might as well,” Han said. “There’s no way you’re going to fit Finn, Chewie and Rey in that X-Wing of yours.”

Poe nodded excitedly as his eyes lit up. “Bee-bee Ate needs to stay here, though. I don’t want ‘em around the First Order again. Especially not on a mission this dangerous.”

“I don’t think you’d get ‘em away from Threepio and Artoo for a mission anyway,” Han remarked. “The little guy’s still convinced he can get Artoo to wake up from being powered down for so long.”

“Maybe,” Leia said sadly. She missed Artoo more than she’d care to admit, but knew someone who missed him a lot more that he was  _ ever  _ willing to admit. More than once she had walked in on Threepio arguing with the powered down astromech droid.

Poe nodded. “I’ll get her back. I promise.” 

Leia nodded and stepped forward to hug Poe. The pilot froze, surprised by the unexpected sign of affection. “May the Force be with you, Poe.”

Poe nodded, lightly returning the hug before pulling away from the General. “May the Force be with you, General. Han,” he added after a moment. The two men shared a nod, an unspoken goodbye lingering in the air. 

And then Poe was gone.

* * *

Kylo Ren strode back towards the cell, determination set in. He’d been given his orders after General Hux had left the room, take the girl to Snoke.

He marched into the room, freezing at the sight of the empty chair. “No,” he whispered. Then louder he yelled, “No!”

His lightsaber was ignited and he was slashing at the room as hard as he could. Sparks had begun flying off the walls, his screams of anger higher than the hum of the lightsaber or the explosions.

He had failed.

* * *

Finn watched as Poe sat down in the pilot’s seat, pressing buttons and pulling levers. Chewie, sitting in the seat next to him, was doing the same.

Then the  _ Falcon  _ was taking off, toward the stars. They were coming for her. They were going to save her.

He couldn’t lose another friend. And he was determined not too.

“Lightspeed,” Poe said, pulling a lever and suddenly the blackness of space turned white and blue and they were off.

Chewie let out a growl. Finn turned to Poe for explanation, and found the pilot was smiling.

“Yeah, Chewie. We’re going to save her.” Poe replied.

Finn nodded. They were going to save her, no matter what.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another cliffhanger. Will I ever stop with the cliffhangers? Anyway, credit to where credit is due: the title of this chapter is taken from Imagine Dragons' Battle Cry, which is an amazing song. 
> 
> Next Time: Rey's stuck in the belly of the beast, trapped on a world full of enemies. But she's not going to let that deter her. Between the slightly annoying voice that seems to follow her, she finds another unlikely ally...who's not all that excited about helping.
> 
> If you liked the chapter, please let me know by either leaving kudos or comments! They really inspire me :) Or you know, if you want to yell at me because of feels.


	9. Of Shields and Ghosts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey's trapped in the belly of the beast, but that's not going to stop her from helping her friends, even if it means finding help from the strangest of sources.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, a huge thank you to hanorganaas aka Theladymore for being an amazing beta and cheerleader and friend. And a huge thanks to everyone who's been keeping up with this little AU and most importantly, a thank you to all the kind people I've met in the Star Wars fandom. You are all amazing and please don't ever forget about it!

The base was kriffin’  _ huge. _ Every time Rey turned, expecting to find a hanger for a ship, she instead found another large hallway-usually crowded with bucketheads. At which point, she’d quickly duck into a small room dedicated to control panels.

Firstly, she’d have to figure out where the kriffin’ hell she was. Then she’d have to find a hanger and escape-

“ _ Shields, _ ” said a voice that wasn’t her own, making her jump. She glanced around frantically for the source of the voice but realized she was alone. 

“Who are you?” She whispered faintly.

“ _ A friend of your mother’s,” _ the voice replied. _ “I’m afraid I’ve been gone awhile though. I’m here to help you. In a manner of speaking.” _

“Is that suppose to comfort me?” Rey muttered. “How come I can’t see you?”

_ “I don’t want Kylo Ren to realize I’m here. When I appear in astral form, the more one can sense my presence through the Force.” _

“The Force,” Rey repeated. “That’s how I’ve been doing the things I have been isn’t it? Seeing the things I see-”

_ “Yes, Rey. The Force..it works in mysterious ways. You being here is no ill mistake of the universe. You are on Starkiller Base for a reason. _ ”

She leaned up against the wall, letting out a deep breath. “The title’s a bit on the nose, isn’t it?”

_ “Quite,”  _ the voice agreed.  _ “But do not underestimate the power of this station, Rey, this base is the cause of the destruction of the Republic.” _

Rey straightened as her eyes wide. “They destroyed the Republic?”

_ “The lights in the sky that you, Poe and Finn saw was the sheer power of this space station. _ ” 

Anger flooded through her as the voice continued to explain how the Starkiller base worked. Once he finished, Rey took a deep breath, trying not to raise her voice. “We’ve got to destroy it somehow.”

_ “The Resistance is on their way but they needs the shields around the planet disabled. Poe seems to think they can land at lightspeed-” _

“Kriffin’ hell, Poe.” Rey groaned. “He’s not my dad. Okay, mysterious ghost that I seem to only be able to hear, how do we disable the shields?”

_ “Well, you’re going to need help. And probably a disguise.” _

“Right,” Rey muttered. “This is going to be fun. Before I do any of this though, you got a name?”

_ “You can call me Obi-Wan. I prefer it nowadays.” _

“Right. Obi-Wan. Got it. You can call me Rey. But I have a feeling you already knew that.”

“ _ You need to hurry,”  _ Obi-Wan warned her. “ _ You haven’t got much time. _ ” 

“Thanks for the reminder,” she said taking a deep breath, she headed out once more.

* * *

Finding a disguise wasn’t so difficult. Obi-Wan had led her to the cadet’s quarters which were, thankfully, empty. A few seconds later, her outfit she’d worn on Bespin had been discarded and she was in the white and black uniform of a Stormtrooper.

She hesitated putting the helmet on, but there was no other alternative. Without it, the whole mission would be pointless. She put the helmet on.

“ _ You’re going to need help getting the shields disabled.” _ Obi-Wan said. Perhaps it was just her imagination, but his voice seemed like a mere whisper now. She briefly wondered if he realized that only she could hear and, for him, there was no point in being stealthy. 

“Where am I going to find that?” She whispered back, glancing around briefly to make sure no one heard.

Obi-Wan’s voice remained silent for a moment before finally. “ _ Her. _ ”

Rey glanced around confused, not entirely sure who he was referring to. Then her glance fell upon a rather eye-catching stormtrooper uniform. 

“ _Captain_ _Phasma,”_ Obi-Wan remarked. “ _She was Finn’s supervising officer. She can disable the shields.”_

“Good,” Rey whispered. She turned around carefully to trail Phasma. When the coast was clear, she grabbed the captain roughly, dragging her to one of the control rooms.

When Rey let go, blaster aimed directly at the stormtooper’s face, Phasma didn’t even seemed concerned.

“You’ll help me disable the shields,” she said, tapping into her Force abilities. Phasma remained silent. 

“ _ Mind tricks only work on the weak minded,”  _ Obi-Wan chided,  _ “Phasma is anything but. You’ll have to use an alternate method. _ ”

“You’re going to help me disable the shields around the planet,” Rey repeated with force. “Or I’ll blow that bucket right off your head.”

“Charming,” replied Phasma, dripping with sarcasm. “You’re not another rogue, and you barely knew how to put that uniform on correctly. I’m going to assume that you’re the escaped prisoner.”

“What do you think?” Rey retorted sharply.

_ “Take it down,” _ Obi-Wan warned. “ _ You don’t want to attract attention.” _

“Yeah, well, I kind of already have,” Rey snapped. Phasma cocked her head, curious. Rey cringed.

“ _ Mum’s the word,”  _ Obi-Wan promised. Somehow Rey felt his presence leave her. For the first time since she woke up on this hellish planet, anxiety flowed freely through her.

“My soldiers will be here in seconds if those shields are disabled. You’ll be slaughtered.”

“Sweet of you to care, but I’m not planning on dying,” Rey retorted. “Not today anyway.” She nudged Phasma with the blaster. “Get a move on. Time’s wasting.”

“You’ll never defeat the First Order,” Phasma remarked as they moved toward the correct control room. “Even if you do destroy this station, it will be replaced with a new piece on the chessboard, so to speak.”

“Keep talking and I might just shoot you anyway,” Rey hissed, nudging the captain once more with the blaster rifle.

* * *

A few minutes later, the control room was cleared of other troopers. Phasma pressed a few keys on the keyboard; Rey could see the shields flicker off on the screen.

“You’re a fool if you think you’ll get away with this. My men-”

“Will slaughter me, I heard the first time,” Rey remarked. She brought the blaster up to Phasma’s head, taking a deep breath. With a loud clang of blaster hitting armor, Phasma fell to the ground in an unconscious heap. 

“Thanks for the help, Captain,” Rey muttered. 

She started out of the room, but when the door opened, she saw three figures standing before her, all armed with blasters. Instinctively she raised her blaster, then hesitated when she realized who it was. 

Just before any of them could pull the trigger, she yelled out, “Don’t! It’s me!”

Poe Dameron and Finn stopped, staring at her incredulously. “Rey-?” They both began in unison, but before either could finish their sentence, they were shoved aside by a tall, hairy creature. Within seconds, Rey was in Chewie’s grasp. The wookie huggied on to her with as much strength as he dared to use when hugging one of his human friends.

He let out a roar of relief and Rey smiled behind the helmet. “Yeah, I missed you too, Chewie.”

“Well that takes away any of my doubt,” Poe remarked with a grin as Chewie finally pulled away. Rey removed the helmet, glad to be breathing in fresh air. Finn was staring incredulously at her.

“What?” She asked him, smile fading somewhat. “Is something wrong?”

“That’s not how-” Finn trailed off and shook his head. The next second he had taken a step forward, but stopped hesitantly, backing away once more.

Rey returned her attention to the fact that they were all three here, despite being curious. “What are you doing here?”

“We came to get you,” Finn said, as if it were the simplest answer in the galaxy. She stared at him, surprised as tears unexpected jumped to the rims of her eyes. Within seconds she had closed the distance between them, wrapping her arms around him dropping her blaster. Finn froze in surprise for a moment, before returning the hug, burying his face in her shoulder.

“Thank you,” she whispered.

“Anyday,” Finn replied, a smile evident in his voice. He asked in a more serious matter, “How’d you get away?”

“It’s...hard to explain,” Rey said. “But I will when we have time,” she promised.

Suddenly she felt a tap on her shoulder. She craned her neck to look over at Poe who had an amused smile on his face.

“I’d hate to break up-” he trailed off and gestured wildly at their hug, “this, but we need to dis-”

“Able the shields?” Rey finished. “Already done.”

“Well, then we need to go. So, escape now, hug later.”

* * *

The base was shaking from explosions by the time they got outside. Rey, who had neglected to see the outside of the base, was surprised to see how snowy it was. However, most of her attention was caught by the battle going on above.

“They’re being slaughtered,” Poe whispered, guilt and worry evident in his voice. Faces appeared in Rey’s mind; Snap and Jessika among them. Poe turned around to lock eyes with her. A silent conversation followed:

_ I can’t not do anything. _

_ I know. We’re going to fix this. _

“We’re going to help them,” Rey promised. “But we’re going to need some explosives.”

Chewie roared and Rey nodded. He already had them. 

“Okay, Finn, you lead the way. Your time as sanitation here should help.”

“Sanitation?” Rey repeated, quirking an eyebrow at Finn. The former stormtrooper shuddered, but she had a feeling it wasn’t from the cold.

“Don’t ask.”

* * *

“Sir,” said an officer, looking up at General Hux. “We have D’Quar in sight.”

"Good,” Hux replied to her. “Prepare to fire. The Resistance won’t last much longer.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Time: The team races to destroy the Starkiller base, but find themselves opposed by a familiar face...and some secrets are revealed.
> 
> Like the chapter? Please leave kudos or comment your thoughts below! :)


	10. I've Turned Into A Monster

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The crew race to plant the charges inside of Starkiller base to help the Resistance...but end up encountering Kylo Ren once more. And Rey learns of a terrible secret.....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Ten already! Man this fic is going fast. As always, a major, major thanks to hanorganaas (Theladymore) for beta-ing and editing this. And major thanks to leiastars for proof-reading this fic! And thanks to them both for constantly threatening me with angst if I don't write..
> 
> And of course a major thanks to everyone who shares this fic, who leaves kudos behind or comments on this. It means a lot, especially since this is, in fact, my first multi-chapter fic that I've published. So it really means a lot!
> 
> I hope you all enjoy this chapter! It was a lot of fun to write and I hope that shows! :)

The journey to and from of setting up the explosives had been easy. They encountered no resistance from the First Order while in access tunnels beside the thermal oscillator. Well, at first at least.

Halfway through the sack, a squad of stormtroopers entered the level. Rey turned to Chewie, her heart thumping loudly in her chest. “Give the bag to me, Chewie. Go back to the Falcon, get it ready for take off.”

Chewie let out a low growl of disapproval.

Rey bit her lip and took a deep breath. “I can handle myself, Chewie. But we’re going to need a way out of here, and fast.”

Chewie stared at her for a moment, then finally nodded. After years spent with her parents, the wookie knew when to give up an argument. Rey turned, sharing a momentary glance with Finn. He gave her a nod of understanding. She nodded in return, before turning her attention to Poe.

“You’re going with Chewie.”

Poe’s eyes widened and he shook his head. His jaw set. “Absolutely not, I’m not leaving you two.” 

“Chewie’s gonna need a co-pilot, Poe. You’re the best pilot in the galaxy, I can’t think of anyone better to do this.”

Poe met her gaze, understanding the silent plea.  _ I almost lost you once and now my whole family is in danger. I can’t lose anyone else.  _

After all, he knew what that felt like. He knew damn well what that felt like.

Poe groaned, knowing he was defeated. He stepped forward. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. “You stay safe,” he ordered. “If there’s any sign of trouble, we’re coming back for you two.”

“I don’t doubt it,” Rey replied, pulling away and smiling at Poe. She realized how much this dumb idiot who had often felt like the brother she had never had meant to her. 

Poe shared a look with Finn; Rey watched as the former stormtrooper gave a nod. Their conversation was silent but meaningful. As Poe nodded, turning away, Finn shuffled closer to Rey and she had a feeling she knew what their silent conversation had been about.

Then Poe stopped and turned around. “May the Force be with you.”

She had heard the words so many times before in her lifetime, but seldom before had it meant so much. She gave him a small nod and then he and Chewie were gone, leaving her and Finn to continue planting the charges.

“You go that way, I’ll go this way,” Finn said, taking some of the explosives. “The quicker we’re out of here, the better.”

“Agreed,” Rey said, taking the back. “Meet back here in five,” she stated. And with that, sharing a brief and meaningful look, the two were off, setting the charges. One down, two down, three down--

On the fourth, half way through setting it, Rey froze, feeling a sharp shiver run down her spine. She turned, afraid but unsurprised to see the dark-clad figure of Kylo Ren. He was standing on a bridge a few meters from her, staring at her. Dropping the now empty bag, Rey stepped forward, onto the bridge.

“What do you want, Ren?” Rey shouted, glaring at him with all the hate she could muster. And to be frank, it was a lot.

“To see what progress you’ve made,” he retorted dryly, taking a step forward. “I’ll admit, I’m quite impressed for what someone as untrained as you have managed.”

Suddenly, Finn appeared at her side. He froze at the sight of Kylo Ren. The Knight of Ren turned his attention to the former stormtrooper.

“I see you’re still friends with the traitor,” Kylo turned his attention back to Rey. “What a waste.”

“You’re a monster,” Rey hissed.

“And if you do anything reckless, I’ll be forced to kill you.” He took another step forward; it took everything she had not to take a step backwards.

“Why do you wear that mask?” Rey asked, trying to change the subject. If they could just distract him, maybe... “What good does it do?”

“It masks my identity,” Kylo answered simply.

“Yeah? From who?” Rey asked. Finn grasped at her hand, shaking his head slightly.

“From you,” Kylo retorted. Rey had begun to argue that she’d already seen his face, but then Kylo removed his helmet once more. Finn stared at him, shocked into silence, his hand dropping from Rey’s.

Rey stared, feeling that odd sense of familiarity once more.

“Rey Solo,” Kylo Ren said. “Do you remember having a brother named Ben Solo?”

Rey stared at him, confused. “I don’t have a brother-” she began, but trailed off, a memory suddenly hitting her. The voice, the voice in the vision….

“ _ Rey, Rey!” _

Her eyes locked with Kylo Ren’s. The familiarity, the sudden visions before he showed up….his grandfather, the mere glimpse she had caught of a man...more machine then than anything else….Obi-Wan’s reluctance of being called Ben…

Her mouth dropped, eyes widening in horror. “Ben,” she whispered.

“Hello, sister.” Ben Solo stated, taking another stride forward, raising his hand palm-forward and suddenly she was frozen, staring in horror at the monster that her brother had become.

“Rey!” Finn cried.

Suddenly there was a hum of electricity and a bright blue light. Then Kylo Ren’s lightsaber ignited, its’ crimson blade alighting the room. He stalked forward, swinging his lightsaber carelessly until he caught sight of the lightsaber in Finn’s hand.

“That lightsaber,” Kylo hissed, “belongs to me.”

“Yeah? Come get it, Benny.” Finn retorted, rushing forward. The two lightsabers, red and blue, clashed together, sending sparks everywhere. Then they moved out of her line of sight, still attacking each other.

* * *

Finn backed up, and sending blow after blow, ducking and rolling when needed. But Kylo Ren however, deflected all offensive attacks. Soon they were both outside, snow flurries everywhere, explosions up above in the sky.

Finn raced forward once more, swinging the lightsaber with as much force as he dared: this time he made contact, a slash across the Knight of Ren’s shoulder. Kylo let out a shout, before whirling around, returning the strike with several vicious blows of his own. 

Finn cried out as the blade made contact with his shoulders; he swung the blue lightsaber forward, clashing against the crimson one before backing away. He moved forward again with the intention of getting in another strike, but Kylo was ready. Kylo sent a blow with his fist to Finn’s face, making the ex-stormtrooper whirl around, lightsaber flung from his grasp. The next second he felt a sharp intense pain go shearing up his back and then everything went black.

* * *

Kylo groaned, holding his shoulder from where Finn had got a shot in. He raised his hand toward the Skywalker lightsaber, connecting with the Force, waiting for it to come to him. However, the lightsaber struggled against the snow for a long moment. He tried once more, with more force. The lightsaber went flying out of the snow, toward him--

And past him.

He whirled around as the lightsaber flew into the hands of his sister, standing in the doorway that led to the Starkiller base, confusion but relief on her features that the weapon had gone to her. He stared at her, angrily.

She ignited the blue lightsaber, taking a deep breath and steadying herself. Then she charged forward, sending blow after blow at Kylo, who barely managed to deflect any of them.

* * *

Back on D’Quar, Leia watched the scanners worriedly. The sun was almost completely out, meaning the weapon was almost fully charged. The remaining officers of the Resistance and Lando stared, transfixed on the scanners before them, waiting as they listened to the squadrons fight for their lives.

_ They were running out of time _ , Leia thought, reaching over to find Han’s hand. She linked her fingers through his, meeting his gaze. No words were spoken, but the look they shared said everything.

Even if the word was burning down all around them, they had each other.

And if the squadron on Starkiller didn’t hurry up, D’Quar was going to be ancient history.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Time: Poe wrestles with the decision to detonate the charges on Starkiller base. Meanwhile, Rey and Kylo continue their battle......
> 
> Well, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! The title of it was taken from Imagine Dragons' "Monster" which is oddly fitting. Please feel free to comment your thoughts, it means a lot! :)


	11. The Light and the Dark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey and Kylo continue their battle while Poe wrestles with a decision that could change their lives forever....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *sniffles* only two chapters left. I'm not ready to end this thing. But anyway, the long awaited chapter eleven! Rey vs. Kylo! X-Wings vs. Starkiller! Woo! 
> 
> Anyway, once again time for the usually round of thanks: major thanks to leiastars for beta-ing this chapter and thanks to hanorganaas (Theladymore) for encouragement and threats of angst. And major thanks to everyone who has subscribed, left kudos on or commented on this fic. You have no idea how much that means to me, really. I hope you all enjoy this chapter! :)

Explosions rang overhead; Poe watched as X-Wings arched, spun and fired at incoming TIEs. From so far below, he couldn’t recognize the X-Wings real enough to distinguish its pilot, but each time one of them got shot down, he felt his heart stop briefly, thinking of his friends, of the fact that he’d left them to fend for themselves-

“They’re not going to be able to destroy Starkiller,” he stated, turning to Chewie. The wookie was looking at him mournfully, understanding his anguish. He had the detonator, he could destroy the inner workings of the Starkiller….but it might come at the costs of Finn and Rey’s lives.

Poe glanced down at the detonator in his hand, shifting his hold on it. Could he do it? 

He looked up, back toward Starkiller base. They had moved so far back to the Falcon that the Starkiller looked like nothing more than a spec in the distance. But even from here, he could vaguely see blue and red lights flashing. He returned his gaze at the detonator. 

He’d killed before. He had blood on his hands and no matter how much he wished he could forget it, he lived with that weight every day. He just wasn’t sure if he could live with the weight of Finn and Rey’s deaths. 

Chewie let out a growl, a reassurance to Poe that Chewie was sure they had already made it out of the base. Praying to everything he knew, praying that the wookie had been right, Poe pressed the button.

* * *

The explosion was so loud it made her jump, which wasn’t the best thing to do. She hissed as the edge of the crimson blade seared against her arm; she whirled away, returning with a strike of her own. Her brother, however, merely dodged it.

Each strike she gave, he returned even more viciously. The ground was shaking, and Rey knew that meant the planet was slowly tearing itself apart. She glanced upwards briefly to see an X-Wing make a rather dangerous maneuver, only to be destroyed by a TIE.

Suddenly she was off her feet, flown backwards. She hit the cold ground rolling, lightsaber rolling a few meters from her. She looked up in time to see her brother striding towards her, twirling the crimson lightsaber in his hands. 

She scrambled to her feet, reaching out her hand, tapping into the strange feeling she had always had but had forever ignored, until now. The lightsaber, the Skywalker lightsaber, returned to her grip. She ignited it once more, rushing forward, striking with even more momentum, thinking of the X-Wings above, being destroyed one by one by the First Order, her friends dying; Finn lying on the cold ground, maybe even dead-

Raged clouded her vision, she stuck back harder, a darkness ever growing inside of her, growing more powerful by the second. She was driving Kylo Ren back, the young man’s face full of surprise.

Then he focused once more and started to drive her back, further toward the forest. Blades clashed, sending sparks everywhere, brother and sister still fighting for their lives.

* * *

Up above, Jessika Paava pulled toggles and pressed buttons as explosions rang all around her. She’d been in plenty of battles before, but none quite so like this.

They were slowly running out of time and X-Wings were dropping from the skies faster than one could say “Naboo”. It was like a lothal cat trying to fight a Rancor: impossible.

Just as her hope had started to fade, however, Snap’s voice came through over the comms. “ _ Guys are you seeing this? There’s a new hole in the base. _ ”

“Yeah,” Jessika remarked, “And it leads straight inside...cover me.”

“ _ Jess, what the hell are you going to do? _ ”

“Something that would probably even astonish Poe,” Jessika replied. “Going in hot.”

Her X-Wing ran through the trenches, Snap and Oddy behind her. She snapped the X-Wing’s wings shut, turning on a dime, straight through the hole and inside the base. She didn’t have time to pat herself on the back though, and began work on destroying the fuel cells, one by one-

One, two, three, four--

And back out, X-Wing arching high into the sky, the base exploding behind them. Cheers and whoops of glee and victory rang over the comms, so loud it made her ears hurt, but soon they quickly faded. 

“ _ Get back to base, _ ” General Organa said over the comms.

“ _ We can’t leave yet. Poe, Rey and Finn are still on the ground.”  _ Snap argued.

Jessika nodded, then said, “We’re not going to leave them.

No reply came for a moment, then. “ _ J-just don’t wait too long.” _

* * *

Rey sent a kick out, knocking Kylo Ren backwards. She swung the lightsaber out, slashing part of her brother’s cape. He gaped, stumbling away and she sent another blow, this time to his lightsaber, sending sparks flying as he was forced to let go of it, turning to her, fear appearing on his face for the first time.

She spun the lightsaber, the cyan blade making contact across his face, searing an angled, bloody line across it, from his left cheek to his right eyebrow. 

_ Finish it,  _ whispered a voice in her head, _ kill him now. _

She glanced down at the lightsaber in her hand, fully feeling it’s weight for the first time, then looking up at her brother, bloody and defeated. 

_ No, _ she thought silently.

As if the planet had heard her, the ground opened up, creating a crevasse between the two Solo children. She stared at her brother for a moment, then switched off her lightsaber and ran back towards the base, though already almost completely destroyed, explosions still ringing off from deep within.

She ran through the snow, dropping to her knees when she reached Finn, rolling the young man’s body over. She swallowed a sob as her eyes fell upon his unconscious features. His pulse was weak, far too weak under her fingers….

“No, Finn,” she whispered, shaking her head, tears falling, she gathered him up closed to her, pressing her face down into his jacket-no longer did it smell of Poe, only Finn-clutching onto his hand. He was fading from her, she could  _ feel  _ it, the light inside of him flickering out--

Then suddenly the clearing was engulfed with light. She looked up to see the  _ Falcon, _ hovering in mid-air, Poe at the helm. Suddenly the ship was landing before her and Chewie rushed out, quickly gathering Finn gently in his arms, Rey following behind them as they raced aboard. 

Then the _Falcon_ was off, starbound, a squadron of X-Wings trailing behind them. Chewie placed Finn carefully on a bench, the ex-stormtrooper still unconscious from his wounds. Rey stood by him, holding onto his hand, even though she knew she should be helping with the ship, she knew she couldn’t leave him either.

They hadn’t even known each other for maybe three days, but she felt connected to him in a way she hadn’t with any other. They were bound, perhaps by destiny or maybe even the Force. But their friendship was a bond as precious as any other and she wasn’t going to give up on him.

She was never going to give up on him.

* * *

 

From the cockpit, Poe flicked on the comms, signaling the Resistance base. Instantly, Leia Organa’s voice flooded the comms, worry evident in her voice.

“ _Rey?_ ”

“No, ma’am. It’s Poe. We’re coming home. I’ve got ‘em. She’s safe, General.”

“ _Thank the Force_ ,” came the hushed reply. A few seconds later, “ _Thank you, Poe._ ”

Not able to reply with an “you’re welcome”, Poe nodded and managed, “Yes, General.” The comms went out. He glanced over at Chewie who was looking at him oddly: confused yet full of understanding.

He was bringing Rey back, yes. But questions were going to have to be answered. And he wasn’t sure if he was ready for that.  
The stars started to blur together, and then they were in Hyperspace, leaving behind the cold grayness of the Starkiller base. They were going home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Time: the team makes it back to the Resistance base and an old friend returns...with much needed happy news.
> 
> Hold onto your hats everyone! This story might almost be over, but there's more yet to come in the Rey Solo universe, including some additions to the next chapter-there's going to be some neat-o moments between the Solo family and some Poe/Rey moments..plus some Jacket Trio angst ;)
> 
> I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! :)
> 
> Feel free to comment your thoughts and reviews or just yell at me because of the FinnRey angst!


	12. See A New Start

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The crew make it back safe and sound to the Resistance base. But of course, there's still things to resolve...finding Luke, a nightmare that might be more than just that.....and will Poe gather up the courage to tell Rey the truth?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> With this last chapter, I thought I'd give a few words: I never thought I would write this thing. It was an AU idea I had talked about with Nikki and later shared with theprincessandscoundrelnet, and they gave me an overwhelming amount of support and encouragement for it that I decided to give it a go.  
> And now, a little over two months later, here we are at the finish line. I never thought I would finish this fic, thought it'd be another lost project, but here I am. All because of the amazing friends who've supported me, encouraged me and threatened me with angst when I needed it; to leiastars and to hanorganaas (Theladymore) for being two amazing friends and beta readers in their own right, and for being there for me whenever I need plot help. This fic wouldn't be where it's at if it weren't for you two.
> 
> And of course a huge thank you to everyone-and I mean everyone-who has left kudos on this project. Who's asked me about it or promoed it on Tumblr. Who's left a comment here, or has subscribed to this fic. It means the world to me. Thank you so much for your support. No doubt this chapter is dedicated to each and everyone of you, and I hope you all enjoy it.

The second the  _ Falcon  _ landed, a group of medics were inside. They placed Finn gently on the gurney. Rey watched with wide eyes as they wheeled him off. She followed them down the ramp, stopping as she caught sight of her mother in the crowd. 

Poe caught at her arm beside, giving her a nod before heading over to follow the medics,hovering nearby Finn at all times. Chewie moved past Rey, towards Han to give his best friend a hairy hug. Leia stepped forward slowly, as did Rey.

The two women stared at each other for a long moment before Rey crumbled, tears falling as she embraced her mother. She buried her face in Leia’s shoulders, her own shaking from tears. Leia said nothing, wrapping her arms around her daughter, as if to keep her from any more pain.

Han stepped up beside them, placing a supportive hand on his daughter’s shoulder. The three of them didn’t say a world, just stood there, their silence as comforting as their presence. 

* * *

_ Blaster fire. “Run!” Said a man’s voice, “Take Rey and get out of here.” _

_ “But Han-!” _

_ “Leia, listen to me. You’re too important to the New Republic, if these kriffin bucketheads-” _

_ “We’ll take the _ Falcon, _ we’ll get out of here.” _

_ “It’s too noticeable,” Han argued. “Take a transport-” _

_ “You’re coming with us,” Leia protested, clinging onto her daughter’s hand. The brunette girl stared up at her parents, tears staining her cheeks. A look of terror appeared on her face. _

_ Han turned, staring at his wife for a long moment, then closed the distance between them. Lips pressed hard against hers. Then he was pushing her away, gently. He bent down and locked eyes with his daughter. “You be good, okay? I’ll come back for you, sweetheart. I promise.” _

_ “Daddy,” she protested, but he closed his eyes and pressed a quick kiss to her forehead before standing back up, blaster at the ready. “Go, Leia! I’ll be right behind you.” _

_ “Han-” Leia’s voice broke off, but when she spoke again, her voice was deadly calm. “I love you.” _

_ “I know,” he replied, giving her the smallest of smiles. And then Leia was running, her daughter’s hand firm in her own. Blaster fire echoed everywhere and then they were outside, running toward a transport ship. Both women were exhausted and terrified.  _

_ Just as they reached the ship, they were thrown clean off their feet as the transport ship exploded into a fiery ball, debris flying everywhere. The little girl hit the permacrete hard and everything faded…… _

_ And the image changed, a forest. Rain pouring down in sheets, turning dirt into mud. Thunder and lightning echoed in the distance, but above all there was a booming voice, cold and threatening. A boy, no more than fifteen, staring defiantly up at the sky. _

_ “She can’t be-you told me she would be safe!” _

_ “There were no Jedi to protect her, Kylo Ren. Your parents could do nothing to save her. She died in the blast.” _

_ “Then it’s my fault!” Kylo screamed at the voice. “I told you to keep her out of this. Kill them, not her!” _

_ “The First Order’s troopers, evidently, did not listen. Your sister is dead.” _

_ “No,” Kylo protested, voice weak. “I..I would feel it.” He squeezed his eyes shut, reaching out in the Force, to feel her presence-but found none. The boy collapsed to the ground, knees crashing against the mud. “No..no, no,no….” _

“Rey, Rey, wake up.” 

Rey sat up straight, eyes blinking rapidly as she took in her surroundings. She was in the sick bay in a chair pulled up next to Finn, who was still in his medicated coma. 

Major Kalonia had assured Rey the night before that Finn would be fine and that with a few weeks rest and a lot more Bacta treatment, he’d be alright. But still, he was in danger of fading away forever most of the night. 

She looked up to find the source of the voice that had brought her out of her dream and found herself face to face with Poe Dameron. His hair was tousled, more so than usual, and he too looked better than he had in the past few days. Most of his cuts and bruises had healed, leaving only a scar on his cheek. There was a small smile tugging at his lips and he was holding out a cup of caf in his left hand toward Rey.

“Morning, Solo.”

Rey nodded, taking the caf gratefully and sipping down most of it in seconds. Poe pulled up a chair of his own beside hers, taking a sip from his own cup of caf. “I talked to Kalonia earlier,” he remarked. “She said Finn’s no longer in life-threatening danger, but they still want to keep an eye on him.”

Rey said nothing in return, just nodded and took another sip of her caf, staring down at Finn’s sleeping figure. Poe let out a sigh and started to take another sip of his cup of caf before sitting it down on a nearby table.

“It’s not your fault, Rey.”

“How is it not my fault?” Rey inquired, turning to her friend. “I shouldn’t have confronted him in the first place. If I hadn’t-”

“Kylo would still have attacked you,” Poe replied softly. “None of this is on you, Rey.”

Rey looked down, unable to reply. How wasn’t it her fault? Finn had come to rescue  _ her _ . She had been the one to confront Ben. Sure, he had been the one to hurt Finn, but she’d been the one to put all the pieces into play for it to happen-

“It’s not your fault, Rey,” Poe repeated, “and Finn would say the same thing. I know what you’re thinking; you think it’s your fault, even though Kylo is the one that did it. You’re wrong. It’s on him, not you.”

She looked up at Poe, a skeptical expression on her face. “You think?”

Poe gave her a small smile. “I know.”

Rey stiffened, thinking back to the dream and what it meant. She turned away, back to Finn. Beside her, she could feel the disappointment from Poe. She knew that he knew she didn’t quite believe him, not fully anyway. 

“He’s my brother, Poe.”

The pilot stiffened beside her. “W-what?”

“Kylo Ren...he’s my brother.” Rey stared her hands, unable to look Poe in the eyes. This was going to be it. There was no way he’d want to be around her anymore, not with knowing what she was-

“How do you know?” The alarm was still in his voice, but she didn’t make nothing of it. 

“He told me. When I confronted him. It’s true...I don’t know how I know, but...I can feel it. It’s him, Poe. Kylo Ren is my brother. W-what does that make me?”

Poe was silent for a long time, considering. Then he spoke again. “It doesn’t make you him. Look at your mother and and your Uncle. They both went down different paths. So can you and Kylo.”

“You don’t think I’m a monster.”

“No,” Poe said, then a little more jokingly, “Well...maybe sometimes when you drink the last of the caf-”

Rey glared at him, “That was one time.”

“Uh-huh.” His demeanor turned serious once more. “Rey, I-”

Before he could finish his sentence, however, Snap appeared in the doorway. There was a grin on his face. “You’ll want to get in here quick. Threepio has some good news.”

Rey shared a glance with Poe. “Threepio?”

The two stood up, following Snap back into the command center. Everyone was gathered around in front of Threepio and-

“Artoo?” Rey whispered, surprised. The droid had been on low-power ever since Luke had disappeared; despite probing from both Threepio and Beebee-Ate, the astromech droid had yet to revive itself. Until now.

“Artoo believes he has the rest of the map to Master Luke,” Threepio announced. “The First Order recovered the rest of the map from the Empire’s records, to which Artoo has the data since-”

“The Death Star,” Leia breathed, stepping up beside her daughter. 

“You mean to tell me Artoo has had this map since the first Death Star?” Han inquired.

“Quite so, Master Solo.” Threepio answered. “Show them, Artoo.”

The astromech droid beeped a rather unfortunate remark toward Threepio, but rolled forward and projected the map up in front of the group. One half of it was missing. Beebee-Ate rolled up toward Poe, beeping excitedly. 

“Yeah, sure. Give me one second, buddy.” Poe moved to grab the star chart that had caused so much trouble, before placing it in the correct slot. Beebee-Ate moved up and projected the image the data chip had inside.

It completed the rest of the map.

The group cheered, hugging whoever was next to them. Rey threw her arms around Poe, burying her face in his shoulders, the pilot returning the hug gleefully. Beside them, she heard her mother breathe, “Luke.” with more hope in her voice than Rey had heard in a long time.

Han pulled Leia close to him, smiling widely. They’d lost so much over the years, but for now they had a victory to celebrate. They were together and they had found Luke.

* * *

The next few days were tense, so to speak. The Resistance was still celebrating their victory over the First Order, but still mourning the soldiers they had lost. The afternoon after they had recovered the map, Leia called everyone into the command center, praising everyone on their bravery, and giving those lost a moment of silence.

Poe looked up from his plate of food toward the empty spot where Rey usually sat in the dining hall. The young woman had spent most of her time by Finn’s side, refusing to leave him alone for more than an hour.

He’d come so close to telling her that he knew. Knew who Kylo Ren is, who he was to Rey. But then Snap had interrupted, and then they had found the map. And everytime he tried to tell her, he chickened out. He couldn’t do it. Couldn’t risk their friendship like that. 

And he also knew that the longer he kept the truth from her, the bigger the fallout would be.

Maybe he’d be able to tell her before she left to bring Luke back. Maybe…

* * *

Rey stared at Finn for a long moment, then said quietly. “I’ve got to go now. But I’ll be back. We’ll meet again. I believe that.” She leaned down, pressing a kiss to his forehead. “Thank you...for everything.”

She stood up, collecting herself. She turned around, grabbing her blaster before glancing once more behind her at Finn. Taking a deep breath, she continued her trek through the base, until she reached the landing bay.

Standing in front of the _Falcon_ was a small group of people: her parents, Poe, Chewie, Artoo and Beebee-Ate. She stepped toward them, placing a smile on her features. Leia brightened up upon catching sight of her daughter, moving to embrace her and pressing a quick kiss to her daughter’s cheek. “I’m so proud of you, Rey.” 

Rey pulled away, smiling softly at her mother, unsure of what to say. Instead, she said, “Thank you, Mom.”

Leia nodded, dropping her hands to her side. Han stepped up, motioning toward his daughter with his arms, a wide smile on his face. “Rey Solo,” he muttered, before hugging her as well, wrapping his arms tight around his daughter, placing a quick kiss to the top of her head.

“I’m proud of you, kid. Just be careful, okay?” He pulled away from his daughter. “And one more thing. Take good care of the old girl.”

“The old girl?” Rey repeated, confused. “What are you talking about-oh.” Her gaze trailed over to the _Falcon_ and then back to her father. “You mean...are you sure?”

Han grinned. “The Galaxy’s New Hope needs a ship, why not the fastest ship in the galaxy?”

Rey felt tears begin to brim and threw herself at her father, hugging him tightly. “Thank you,” she whispered against his leather jacket. 

“You’re welcome,” he replied. Then he pulled away, smiling widely at her. “You deserve it. You’re amazing, kid. Don’t you ever forget it.” He dropped his arms from her as Rey smiled up at him. Her gaze turned to Poe, who was standing a little off to the side, dressed in his dress uniform. Beebee-Ate sat beside him, dancing excitedly.

She stepped toward her friend, a smile on her face. “I would offer you to be my co-pilot, but I think Chewie’s already offered.”

Poe smirked. “Well, the  _ Falcon’s  _ already got an amazing pilot. It doesn’t need another.”

Rey grinned. “Take care of yourself, Dameron.” 

“I will. You do the same. Solo.” he retorted. 

Rey laughed, pulling him in for a hug. “Seriously, though. Don’t do anything stupid.”

“When do I ever?” Came his reply.

Rey laughed again, pulling away. “Only when you breathe.” 

Poe made a face of mock indignation. “I take great offense to that.” There was a moment of silence between the two friends and then, “Come back safe, alright? You’re family.”

Rey smiled. “I will, promise. And Poe?”

“Yeah?”

“You’re family too.” 

He grinned at that, his eyes lighting up for the first time in a very long time. Then Beebee-Ate let out a small beep and they both started laughing. Rey bent down to face Beebee-Ate and answered the droid with a smile.

“Yes, Beebee-Ate. You’re family too.”

Beebee-Ate let out an excited whistle and nudged Rey gently, his own little version of a hug. Rey stood back up, stepping away toward the Falcon and Chewie and Artoo. She turned around to see her parents and Poe waving at her. 

“May the Force be with you,” Leia said, smiling widely.

Rey nodded, returning the smile. She turned around, stepping up the ramp, Chewbacca and Artoo following close behind. The ramp closed behind them and Artoo rolled away happily as Chewie and Rey made their way to the cockpit.

When they reached the doorway, Chewie made a gesture with his arms toward the pilot’s chair. Rey smirked. “You sure you don’t a go this time?”

Chewie shook his head and gestured at the seat again. Rey nodded and took her seat as Chewie did the same. The wookie paused for a moment, turned and smiled at Rey, leaning over from his seat to ruffle her hair.

She smiled back at him, gently swatting at his arm playfully, like she did when she was little. Together, they began pressing buttons and pulling levers, and the Falcon was in the air, leaving behind D’Quar, the members of the Resistance watching after them. 

The universe was ahead of her, as was her destiny.   
But so long as she had a Wookie and an astromech droid by her side, she could handle anything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well I hope you all enjoyed this fic! The title is from Mumford & Sons' Hopeless Wanderer, which became this chapter's unofficial theme. Feel free to leave comments below! I'd love to know what you thought of it! :)


End file.
